The Spiral of Hatred and Brothers' Eyes

Time flowed like a rushing river, swept along by hatred and war for years.

The deaths of Uchiha Tajima and Senju Butsuma had not brought peace. Instead, they had completely ignited the unending war between the two clans. Uchiha Madara, who had inherited the Mangekyō Sharingan and his father's legacy, led the Uchiha Clan with even greater ruthlessness and aggression.

Over the years, the scale of the war had continued to grow, and its brutality far surpassed anything before.

Uchiha Madara had begun to master the power of the Mangekyō. It was no mere ocular jutsu, but a terrifying force on a deeper level, one that touched the mind and energy itself. Though he had yet to fully draw out its potential, he could already cast genjutsu far beyond the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, enough to make an elite jōnin suffer a complete mental breakdown in an instant. His perception had also reached an unimaginable level, allowing him to see the flaws in the chakra flow of most ninjutsu. With those eyes, he was like a demon from the underworld on the battlefield, repeatedly inflicting heavy losses on Senju forces. His name alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of Senju shinobi.

After losing Butsuma, the Senju Clan was initially taken over by the young and vigorous Hashirama Senju. Hashirama had always hated war and longed for peace, but to protect his people, he had no choice but to stand and fight. His Sage Body continued to awaken amid years of bloody battles, and his vitality and chakra reserves reached astonishing levels. His great strength and generous nature gradually won him the clan's support, making him a leader capable of barely holding his own against Uchiha Madara.

Tobirama Senju, meanwhile, became the mainstay of the fight against the Uchiha, especially against Uchiha Madara. His Ghost Shadow Body Flicker Technique grew ever more refined. He appeared and vanished without a trace, killing Uchiha elites time and again and causing the Uchiha enormous trouble. But against Madara's Mangekyō, which could predict and even interfere with his movements, Tobirama suffered repeated setbacks and nearly died on several occasions. This forced him to devote tremendous effort to developing new techniques to counter those terrifying eyes. The beginnings of his ideas for Space-Time Ninjutsu and some extreme tactics based on Explosive Tags began to take shape in his mind.

Uchiha Sou had gradually grown up over these years, growing taller and shedding much of his childishness. He remained taciturn and inconspicuous within the clan. Carefully concealing his greatest secret, he limited his practice of that special ability entirely to his own body. Progress was slow, but steady. His chakra control had become painstakingly precise, and his mental strength had grown ever more resilient. He had long since mastered his Double Tomoe Sharingan and performed well in several battles, but that was all. He deliberately suppressed the urge to evolve, avoiding too much attention. He watched coldly as the spiral of hatred wound ever tighter, as Madara grew more and more obsessed, as Izuna followed his elder brother without reservation, and as the Senju brothers grew at a startling pace. The sense of crisis in his heart grew with every passing day.

He knew that the balance would eventually be broken.

That day finally came.

A decisive battle over resources erupted in a valley along the border between the two countries. The Uchiha and Senju committed nearly all their elite forces.

The fighting reached a fever pitch from the very start. Battle cries, ninjutsu explosions, and clashing blades roared deafeningly.

Uchiha Madara was a black storm on the battlefield. His Mangekyō spun as he effortlessly saw through and shattered one Senju assault after another, unstoppable.

Hashirama Senju stood like an unyielding tree, blocking Madara's edge with his vast chakra and powerful Taijutsu. The beginnings of Wood Style—primitive techniques that could only sprout a few tough vines and wooden structures—started to manifest in his hands. Though they were nowhere near the level of Deep Forest Emergence in later generations, the power born of All Things in Nature already left the Uchiha astonished and hard-pressed.

Tobirama Senju was a white ghost on the battlefield. His Ghost Shadow Body Flicker Technique was even harder to defend against amid the chaos. He targeted Uchiha command posts and powerful elite jōnin, striking time and again.

The battle was exceptionally fierce, and people fell with every passing second.

Izuna Uchiha stayed at Madara's flank throughout. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan worked at full capacity; his swordsmanship was superb, and his Fire Style was fierce. He repeatedly shielded Madara from attacks from the side, especially Tobirama's enigmatic ambushes. The brothers fought side by side in perfect coordination, becoming the sharp point of the Uchiha forces.

But this was exactly the opportunity Tobirama had been waiting for!

He deliberately exposed an opening to lure Madara into a fierce attack, but his true target was Izuna Uchiha, who had been protecting Madara all along and was badly exhausted!

In a burst of incredible speed, Tobirama's figure seemed to teleport around Madara's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. The specially made, rune-engraved Kunai in his hand shot straight for Izuna's heart! It was faster and came from a trickier angle than ever before!

"Izuna! Look out!" Madara's pupils contracted. He tried to rush back to help, but a massive wooden arm, hastily grown by Hashirama at the cost of everything he had, blocked him by force!

Izuna's Sharingan saw the deadly glint, but his body was half a beat too slow after fighting at such intensity for so long! He could feel death bearing down on him!

At this critical moment—

"Not a chance!"

Uchiha Sou, who had been moving along the edge of the battlefield to provide support, suddenly hurled several Shuriken bound with Explosive Tags. He aimed them precisely at an empty spot along Tobirama's path—not to hit him, but to force him to change course!

At the same time, the two Tomoe in his eyes spun wildly. He staked everything, channeling all his mental strength and his minuscule ability to "interfere" into an inconspicuous piece of rubble beneath Tobirama's feet!

"Slip!" A powerful thought burst forth!

Perhaps it was coincidence. Perhaps his faint ability had finally had some effect at this crucial moment. Or perhaps Tobirama had focused all his attention on Izuna. Whatever the reason, his foot really did falter ever so slightly!

The hesitation was minuscule, lasting less than a tenth of a second!

But for a shinobi of Izuna's caliber, that was enough!

Izuna summoned the last of his strength and abruptly twisted aside!

Thud!

The specially made Kunai failed to pierce his heart, instead burying itself deep in his upper right chest, near his shoulder! The tremendous impact sent him flying backward as blood sprayed from his mouth!

"Izuna!!!"

Madara watched his younger brother suffer a grievous wound and let out a heart-wrenching roar! Extreme fury, worry, and fear consumed him in an instant!

The sudden turn of events also made Hashirama falter.

Tobirama Senju's strike had failed to kill, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He immediately retreated without hesitation, his hands forming seals as fast as lightning!

"Forbidden Technique: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!" (Early prototype)

The Explosive Tag on the specially made Kunai lodged in Izuna's body was activated through summoning. It immediately began summoning more Explosive Tags in a furious, continuous chain, about to trigger a series of unrelenting explosions! He would blast Izuna to pieces!

"No—!!!"

Uchiha Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly under the impact of his overwhelming emotions, its power surging out of control! He saw his younger brother on the verge of being reduced to nothing but a corpse, and his despair and hatred reached their peak!

At the same time, Izuna was sent flying by the grievous wound. Feeling the destructive force about to erupt inside him, he saw his brother's anguished, twisted expression in midair, Tobirama Senju's cold, merciless gaze, and the horrified faces of the clan members around them...

Protect his brother! Defend the Uchiha! His deep-seated hatred of the Senju, especially Tobirama... and the unbearable resentment of facing death... Countless extreme emotions erupted all at once!

"Raaagh—!!!"

Izuna, flying through the air, let out a cry that came not from pain but from the depths of his soul! Even the blood spurting from the wound in his upper right chest seemed to surge with powerful chakra!

His Three-Tomoe Sharingan, wide with pain and fury, contracted sharply. The Tomoe twisted and distorted, then finally connected and fused, transforming into a new, intricate pattern. It differed from Madara's, yet held the same potent, sinister power!

The Mangekyō Sharingan suddenly awakened in Izuna Uchiha's eyes as well!

In that moment between life and death, his newly awakened Dojutsu Power instinctively sprang forth!

Vmmm—!

A massive energy skeleton, like a rib cage and glowing a deep purple, appeared out of thin air and instantly enveloped Izuna's body!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosive Tags detonated in rapid succession, pounding the deep-purple skeleton. Flames and smoke swallowed it as the blasts' shockwaves swept through the area!

Everyone held their breath.

The smoke cleared.

Izuna Uchiha was on one knee, panting heavily, the Kunai still embedded in his upper right chest and blood staining his clothes. But his body was firmly protected by the seemingly incomplete yet unbreakable deep-purple energy skeleton. Cracks had appeared in it under the repeated explosions, but it had successfully withstood the killing blow!

Susanoo!

"Izuna!" Madara rushed to his side, both startled and overjoyed.

Izuna lifted his head, revealing a new Mangekyō Sharingan pattern with tears of blood streaming from his eyes. His voice was hoarse but full of hatred. "I'm all right... Brother... Those white-haired eyes... I'll tear them out with my own hands!"

The battlefield fell silent for a moment.

A second Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared in the Uchiha Clan!

Tobirama Senju's expression was dreadful. His strongest ambush and new Forbidden Jutsu had, by some strange twist of fate, helped his enemy awaken the Mangekyō?! He stared at the uncanny energy skeleton, alarm bells ringing in his mind. His assessment of the Sharingan's danger had reached its highest point, and his resolve to develop new techniques grew even stronger.

Hashirama Senju looked at those two ominous pairs of eyes and felt the icy hatred within them. A deep sense of pain and helplessness crossed his face. The path to peace seemed even more distant now. Some power within him also seemed to be awakening more quickly, stirred by this extreme confrontation and his resolve to protect his people.

Watching Izuna survive by awakening Susanoo, Uchiha Sou slowly let out a breath, but his heart grew heavier. The appearance of a second Mangekyō would only make the Uchiha fight more fiercely and tighten the chains of hatred even further.

And at last, he had witnessed the moment the Mangekyō awakened with his own eyes—that overwhelming emotional impact...

He knew that from this moment on, the war would enter an even more terrifying new stage. And under the gaze of those two hateful eyes, the "different possibility" he sought seemed ever more distant and elusive.

There seemed to be little time left to catch his breath.