The Language of Nature and the Night of Choice

The gears of time, lubricated by hatred, ground forward for another year.

Border skirmishes never truly ceased; small-scale bloodshed acted like an unhealing ulcer, continuously draining the vitality of both clans. The power of Uchiha Madara and Izuna grew increasingly profound. Madara, in particular, mastered his Mangekyou with growing finesse; the terrifying Dojutsu Power that occasionally leaked during his training sessions left every clansman who sensed it trembling in fear. They were like dormant tigers, sharpening their claws and fangs, waiting for the perfect moment to tear their enemies apart.

On the Senju side, Hashirama Senju practically lived in the forest behind the clan grounds. The woods that had sprung forth from his power grew ever more lush and vibrant, eventually beginning to subtly alter the surrounding environment, rendering the soil of the Senju lands more fertile and slightly accelerating the recovery of the wounded. Hashirama spent his days in the company of the trees, attempting to communicate with them and feeling the vast yet gentle natural energy flowing within.

He did not know the concept of "Sage Art"; he merely felt, by instinct, that this forest was a part of his own power and a vessel for his inner longing for peace.

On this day, as he often did, Hashirama pressed his palms against the trunk of the thickest ancient tree, closing his eyes to focus and attempting to perceive more deeply.

Gradually, he entered a mysterious state. His Chakra slowly merged with the vitality of the trees, his thoughts sinking into the earth and spreading along the tangled roots.

He "heard" the flow of moisture in the soil, "heard" the photosynthesis of the leaves, and "heard" the rustling of insects crawling beneath the bark...

A vast, ancient, gentle, and boundless consciousness, like a slumbering behemoth, flowed slowly at the foundation of this forest. It was a collective of natural energy, silently nourishing all things.

Hashirama's mind was involuntarily drawn in, attempting to touch and understand it.

Just as his consciousness was about to merge more deeply with that vast energy—

That familiar, subtle fluctuation appeared once more!

It was as if an invisible hand had given him a gentle push from behind, brushing away the final shred of mist and delivering a key "realization" into his mind: Stillness! Stillness within motion! Body and mind as one, merging into nature!

A flash of inspiration struck Hashirama. He immediately abandoned all active guidance and control, allowing his body and mind to relax completely, his consciousness merging like a droplet of water into that vast sea of nature.

Hum—!

The aura around him changed abruptly!

Attracted by his pure life force and unique constitution, the massive natural energy began to gather toward him spontaneously and slowly, undergoing a preliminary, crude fusion with his own Chakra!

Beneath his eyelids, two extremely faint, flickering red shadows appeared! His perception expanded several times over in an instant, allowing him to clearly "see" the countless points of light that were natural energy!

Sage Art Mode! Though it was merely a rudimentary, unstable, and fleeting prototype!

Hashirama snapped his eyes open, feeling the unprecedented warmth of vitality and power within his body, his eyes filled with shock and joy. Although he did not yet understand what this meant, he knew he had touched the door to a more powerful strength, one inextricably linked to the forest!

The "partiality" of the world had once again pointed the way for him in the most timely manner.

Meanwhile, far away in the Uchiha clan grounds, Uchiha Sou was finishing his day of patrol.

He habitually maintained that faint state of resonance with "life" as he walked back to his quarters. Over a year of continuous practice had made this state almost instinctive. While the enhancement it provided was negligible, the accumulation over time meant his base constitution, Chakra quality, and mental resilience had far surpassed ninjas of his level—though he deliberately hid this, never showing it to others.

Suddenly, he felt something and snapped his head up to look toward the direction of the Senju clan.

In his perception, "nature" in that direction seemed to stir! It was as if a pebble had been dropped into a calm lake, sending out invisible ripples; though extremely faint, they carried a refreshing and massive aura of life!

This feeling... it was of the same origin as the "life" fluctuation he had been trying to resonate with, yet it was a hundred times more intense and clear!

"Hashirama Senju..." Uchiha Sou immediately understood the cause. The man favored by the world had clearly made another major breakthrough.

A complex emotion welled up in his heart. There was envy, vigilance, and a deep sense of powerlessness. The other party seemed to be walking on a paved, bright highway, while he could only grope his way forward through thorns and darkness.

Just then, in the center of the clan grounds, a cold, violent, and oppressive Chakra erupted, like the eye of a demon opening in the dead of night, instantly scattering the trace of life-aura Tsang had sensed!

It was Uchiha Madara! He seemed to have been startled by the unusual movement from Hashirama's side and had subconsciously released his power as a response and warning.

The two diametrically opposed forces collided across the distance. Though silent, they left the hearts of sensitive ninjas feeling heavy.

Uchiha Sou sighed, knowing that the brief peace was likely truly at an end. Madara would never allow Hashirama to become stronger; a retaliatory strike would likely unfold soon.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Uchiha Sou was secretly summoned to the council hall.

Only Madara and Izuna were in the hall. Madara sat in the main seat, his body largely shrouded in shadow, save for those Mangekyou eyes emitting a ghostly red light in the darkness, which made one's blood run cold. Izuna stood to the side, his expression grave.

"Tsang, you have come." Madara's voice was low and hoarse. "Although your eyes are only Two-Tomoe, your insight and grasp of the battlefield are matched by few in the clan. Especially when dealing with the sneak attacks of someone with Tobirama's speed, you always seem to have a way."

Uchiha Sou was startled, though he kept his expression calm. "Lord Madara is too kind; I merely do my best."

"No need for modesty." Madara waved a hand. "I have summoned you here because there is an important task to entrust to you."

He paused, his Mangekyou staring directly at Tsang, bringing with it immense pressure. "We have received intelligence: in three days, Tobirama Senju will lead an elite squad to escort a batch of important supplies to a secret location to meet with a confidant of the Land of Fire Daimyo. This is an excellent opportunity for us to deal a heavy blow to the Senju, intercept the supplies, and perhaps even sow discord between them and the Daimyo."

Izuna interjected, "My brother will lead the team personally to launch the main assault. But Tobirama is cunning and suspicious; there may be a trap, or he may have prepared countermeasures against the Mangekyou. We need a pair of eyes that are sharp and calm enough to hide in the shadows and observe the overall situation. Once you detect anything unusual, you must issue a warning immediately, or... if necessary, interfere with Tobirama's movements to create a kill-shot opportunity for my brother."

Uchiha Sou's heart sank. This was asking him to act as bait, or rather, high-level cannon fodder! Facing a head-on collision between the Mangekyou-wielding Madara and the cunning Tobirama, for a Two-Tomoe user like him, a single mistake would mean death without a corpse left behind!

"Your mission is critical, and it is dangerous." There was no emotion in Madara's eyes. "Are you willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility for the sake of the Uchiha?"

The council hall fell into a deathly silence.

Uchiha Sou could feel the gazes of Madara and Izuna pressing down on him like physical weight. This was not a request; it was an order. The consequences of refusal were unthinkable.

He took a deep breath, his brain racing.

Directly participating in a battle of this level carried a high risk of death. But this was also an opportunity—an opportunity to observe a duel between the Mangekyou and a top-tier powerhouse at close range, an opportunity that might allow him, amidst the chaos... to gain more information or even benefits.

More importantly, he faintly felt that this operation might be yet another "tempering" or "opportunity" arranged by the "partial" world for Hashirama Senju. And he, was he to be the fated stepping stone in this script of destiny?

No.

He quietly clenched his fist inside his sleeve.

He would not follow the predetermined script.

He raised his head, meeting Madara's deep, terrifying Mangekyou, his voice calm yet firm: "For the future of the Uchiha, Tsang will not shirk, even if it means death."

"Very well." A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched the corner of Madara's mouth before vanishing instantly. "Go and prepare. Izuna will inform you of the specific plan."

Uchiha Sou bowed in salute and retreated from the oppressive council chamber.

The icy night wind brushed against his face, bringing a touch of clarity.

He knew that he had stepped onto an incredibly dangerous tightrope.

Three days from now, he would no longer be a bystander, but would personally step into the very center of that storm of hatred.

What he would face was not only powerful enemies, but perhaps also... the "malice" of the world itself.

But he had no other choice.

He returned to his quarters, but instead of resting, he entered that state of "resonance" once more. This time, he did not pursue the inclination of "life," but instead attempted to focus his entire spirit to perceive, to predict, and to deduce every possibility for three days hence.

In this biased game of chess, he had to pry open a sliver of an insignificant... variable for himself.

The night was still long, and the storm was fast approaching.