Smoke and Mirrors

Kneeling in the room, Tobirama gazed past the incense slowly burning in the middle of the hall and out toward the unidentified purple wildflowers blooming beside the courtyard wall.

At the Daimyo's cough, his wandering gaze returned.

His lavish clothes did little to hide his aged face. With trembling hands, the Daimyo took the supply list from an attendant beside him.

Just as Senju Hashirama cleared his throat and was about to speak, he said, "Sorry, could you wait a little longer? There's still someone who hasn't arrived."

"Uchiha Madara, I presume." The Daimyo, his body ravaged by wine and women, sized up the Senju brothers before him with bleary eyes. "Then we'll wait."

Warm, yellow-orange light streamed through the doors and windows, glimmering brightly on the floorboards and casting the three men's long shadows across the railing inside.

The drowsy Daimyo jolted awake as his head drooped, startled by the sudden feeling of falling. Noticing the dampness at the corner of his mouth, he sleepily wiped it away with his sleeve, then glanced questioningly at the silver-haired man.

Tobirama shook his head and answered for his brother, who sat beside him, statue-still in the setting sun.

"Is that so?" The Daimyo shifted his numb legs and leaned back, discreetly pounding his fist against them before settling into a comfortable position. "Then we'll wait a little longer."

The clouds on the horizon grew even more vivid and crimson, and the last rays of sunlight in the room brightened.

"Thank you for your effort, Daimyo. Please come back for the meeting tomorrow."

Hashirama's voice was slightly hoarse as he apologized. He stood and walked slowly away with his back to the sun, the lonely glow of dusk falling across him as he disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Ah, Tobirama?" The Daimyo handed him the supply list from his sleeve. "I look forward to working with you."

Tobirama accepted the list and studied its contents, reading them over carefully several times before slipping it into his pocket, satisfied.

"Teacher!"

At the familiar Training Ground, Rikusei had just arrived from class. He pushed aside the branches blocking his view and called out to the figure sitting on a rock, gazing toward the clan compound.

Uchiha Madara's silhouette beneath the trees looked lonely. Rikusei knew what had happened. He sat down beside him, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

"Have you ever been to Naka Shrine?"

Madara's voice was heavy. He stared intently toward the shrine and spoke softly.

"No."

Rikusei answered plainly. He knew Madara must have seen the Stone Tablet, altered by Black Zetsu.

That Madara, who had briefly dreamed of becoming Hokage, was already gone.

Watching someone close to him sink step by step into an abyss of misguided choices was truly painful.

"I'll take you to see it."

Uchiha Madara stood up readily and invited the only person by his side with whom he could speak his mind.

They passed beneath the towering red Torii Gate and followed Madara up the stone steps into the ancient shrine.

Inside the wooden building, Madara walked straight to the wall painted with a Gunbai. He gathered chakra in his palm and pressed it against the wall.

The stone wall began to shudder as it sank into the ground. After a loud rumble, the darkness hidden behind it was revealed in the light of the torches.

A secret passage. Rikusei followed Madara down it.

As if responding to their footsteps, torches gradually ignited along the passage, their yellow light illuminating the way ahead until they reached a spacious chamber.

Uchiha Madara, dressed in a high-collared robe, gazed at the Stone Tablet, covered in words that were difficult to understand, and said softly, "Open your Sharingan and take a look."

Rikusei activated his Sharingan, turning his Single Tomoe. The instant his gaze met the tablet, a wealth of information about how to use the Sharingan suddenly flooded his mind.

Madara watched the boy absorb the tablet's contents with his eyes closed, then slowly stepped forward. His Eternal Mangekyo spun rapidly in its sockets as he lightly tapped a finger against the boy's forehead.

"Transcription Seal!"

His ocular power flowed through his finger into the boy's closed eyes. A specific condition had been set.

After finishing, Madara waited quietly for him to wake.

"It only had information about the Single Tomoe." Rikusei opened his eyes. The Tomoe gradually faded from his irises, and he spoke with regret.

Madara's eyes returned to normal. Turning toward the tablet, he said, "I found a way to make my old dream come true."

No. You found Black Zetsu's method for splitting the moon and saving his mother.

Rikusei grumbled silently to himself. He knew Madara wouldn't believe him, even if he said it aloud.

The Stone Tablet had been passed down by the Sage of Six Paths. Was Madara really claiming someone had altered it?

Where was the proof?

Rikusei had none.

Black Zetsu?

Even Madara and Hashirama, both at the height of their power, couldn't detect his presence—let alone Rikusei, as he was now.

"What is it?" Rikusei asked, playing along.

"A god, seeking stability, divided Yin and Yang into two opposing forces. They interacted with each other, and thus all creation came into being."

Madara activated his Eternal Mangekyo and recited the words on the tablet. He didn't want to draw his disciple too deeply into this, and fell silent afterward.

Seeing that Madara had gone quiet, Rikusei pretended to analyze the words. "Taken at face value, the god must be the Sage of Six Paths we've heard about through the generations. Could Yin and Yang, mentioned earlier, be what created all things? Yin-Yang Release?"

"Yin-Yang Release?" Madara shook his head to show he didn't know. He only knew that he had found a new path. He looked Rikusei in the eye and said earnestly, "Izuna once entrusted the clan to me. Now, I want to entrust them to you."

"?"

Rikusei couldn't understand. Was it really wise to place the burden of the Uchiha Clan on someone who wasn't even an adult yet?

"Your eyes are special." Madara had hit upon Rikusei's unspoken secret. He continued, "That's one of the reasons I chose you as my disciple. After spending so many days together, I believe you think differently from most of the clan. You won't let the Uchiha Clan disappear within the village."

How had this turned into a personal attack? Was he saying Rikusei was some kind of oddball? Keeping his inner thoughts to himself, Rikusei replied firmly, "I accept your request, Teacher."

In the chamber, their elongated shadows danced with the flickering flames, which crackled softly. The shadows fell across Madara as a silent smile touched his stern face. "Rikusei, today's your birthday, isn't it?"

It was Madara's first time celebrating a junior's birthday, and he hadn't made any preparations. He asked, "Chiri told me. Is there anything you wish for?"

"Fireworks!" Rikusei blurted out before he could stop himself. He wanted to see the special kind of fireworks in this world. Blinking, he said, "Let's find somewhere deserted and set off Fire Release. We should bring the Gunbai too."

Uchiha Madara looked at his disciple, who had come up with yet another impulsive idea. Every time, he managed to surprise him. Madara smiled and shook his head. "We don't need the Gunbai. We'll set off a huge firework that belongs to the Uchiha alone."

"You're not going to blow up Konoha, are you?"

Seeing Madara's eager look, Rikusei grew worried.

"I'm not like you. I didn't stuff my ninja pouch full of Explosive Tags on my first day of school." Madara grew excited about his sudden idea. "No, we have Hashirama to take care of everything. Come on."

"It must've been Elder Kaku!"

Rikusei immediately clapped a hand over the ninja pouch at his waist. He'd figured out who might have let the secret slip.

"Well, as your Teacher, how could I not take special care of you when you're going to study at the Senju Clan's school?" In the chamber, the bonfire flickered. Uchiha Madara spread his hands as he explained.