Hashirama: Go find your friend, Kuro

Land of Fire - Valley of the End

"Did you guess that? I knew I couldn't hide it from you."

Obito looked at Madara calmly, his voice showing no surprise whatsoever.

"Hmph, now that things have come to this, what your purpose is, and what you really want to do, is something I Uchiha Madara, don't even need to guess."

Ban scoffed, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"After all, you've always been a brainless and wavering idiot."

"... I don't deny that."

Obito spoke calmly. The Mangekyo in his single eye slowly rotated, reflecting the moonlight on Madara's charred and weak face, and his expression changed slightly.

Even when Madara faked his death using Izanagi and could only eke out a living in his own Kamui Dimension, he never looked like this.

Even though he was very old and had to take care of his own bodily functions back then, the sharpness in his eyes remained unchanged and never wavered in the slightest because of his temporary embarrassment.

But the man before her, though still showing signs of youth, looked more like an elderly person than he had back then.

"You... you've really changed, Madara."

Obito spoke softly, his voice unusually tinged with emotion.

"Snort."

Ban snorted coldly, seemingly too lazy to bother with the culprit who had caused his complete defeat, and said impatiently:

"Alright, I'm too lazy to say anything more to you, you idiot."

"Let's get moving, or that kid will be back soon."

Obito slightly and gently placed his gloved hand over Madara's left eye.

Goodbye, Teacher.

Obito looked into Madara's right eye, his tone slightly awkward:

This is the first time I've called you that, and it should be the last.

"Hmph, I don't believe I have such a stupid disciple as you."

Ban said unhappily, but still turned his head and looked at the young man whose life he had changed.

Looking at Obito's weathered right eye, he couldn't help but be slightly moved.

"... Is it worth it to give up your dreams?"

Obito didn't answer immediately, but simply withdrew his hand from Madara's left eye, and a warm eyeball appeared in his palm.

He lowered his head, looked at the Rinnegan, and remained silent for a moment.

"Have no idea."

"Just like you said, I've been an idiot all along, for no apparent reason."

Obito carefully put away the Rinnegan, raised his head, and looked towards the Land of Rice, a gentle smile slowly curving his lips:

"All along, I've just been doing what I feel is right."

"Tsk, this is really annoying. I actually got tricked by an idiot like you."

Hearing Obito's response, Madara couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly, then fell into a brief silence.

"... Go for it, Obito."

"I will be waiting for you in another world."

Obito slowly turned around, his back to Madara, and nodded slightly.

A spiraling spatial Uzumaki spun out from the Mangekyo in his right eye.

Under Madara's calm gaze, Obito's figure was gradually swallowed by the Uzumaki and eventually disappeared completely from his sight.

In the ruins of the Valley of the End, only Madara remained.

The gentle moonlight fell on the ruins of the Valley of the End, with only the sound of the waterfall echoing at the bottom of the valley.

Ban lay flat amidst the ruins, his left eye now a hollow.

His only remaining right eye gazed at the full moon in the night sky, its gaze calm, as if it were looking at a past event that had already come to an end.

"Spot!!"

A familiar voice came from not far away, loud and urgent.

Madara turned his head with difficulty, and what came into view was Hashirama, who had come to his side and was looking at him anxiously, and Kotoko standing next to him.

At this moment, Kou had voluntarily exited the Six Paths Mode and returned to his usual attire and appearance.

He stood beside Hashirama, his gaze fixed on Madara's face. Upon seeing Madara's empty left eye, his previously calm expression froze.

Knock sensed his surroundings and instantly detected the familiar spatial fluctuations that had not yet completely dissipated.

"That Obito guy took your Rinnegan?"

Knock stared intently at the spots, his voice deepening:

Where is he now, and what is he going to do?

"Hmph, you're always asking stupid questions."

Ban looked at Kou, a forced, meaningful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth:

"Now that things have come to this, you should be able to guess what that idiot is really up to."

Hearing Ban's words, his originally solemn gaze paused for a moment.

"If you want to go find him, then let's set off now."

Ban spoke calmly, his voice even softer than before.

He shifted his gaze from Kotobukiya's face to Hashirama beside him, who was looking at him with a complex expression, and a nostalgic smile appeared on his lips.

"Our final words were already spoken in your heart."

"Let me, in the end, have a private chat with this old friend."

"Spot..."

Looking Hashirama Madara, who had never been so honest with him before, Hashirama felt a pang of pain in his heart.

"There's no need to make that face, Hashirama."

Madara glanced at Hashirama's bitter expression and said unhappily:

"I don't want to see your miserable, sour face as I go to the other world in my final moments."

"You were the ones who ultimately won."

Hashirama listened to Madara's words, he took a deep breath and suppressed the pain in his heart.

Then he turned his head, looked at Kou who had been silent since earlier, and forced a smile:

"Ban is right, go ahead, Koto."

Even though you've been at odds with each other for various reasons, the bond between you has remained, hasn't it?

He paused, looked at Kou, and said earnestly:

Go find your friend, knock.

Go and answer all the questions in your heart.

Kou remained silent for a moment, then his gaze involuntarily shifted towards Konoha, and he slowly nodded.

"... ah."

He responded in a low voice, glanced one last time at the spots on the ground, then turned around and disappeared from the spot with a spatial ripple.

In the silent Valley of the End under the moonlight, only Hashirama and Madara remained.

The roar of the waterfall was still deafening, and the white mist shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Hashirama sat down beside Madara, quietly gazing at his old friend who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with him, then became his enemy, and finally returned to his side.

Madara remained silent, gazing at the tranquil starry sky above, a faint smile slowly curving his lips...

--

Originally, I wanted to dedicate a chapter to explaining Kō's search for Hashirama and everyone's situation on the battlefield in the Land of Rice, but since I was almost at chapter 400, I figured it would be better to use that chapter for Madara's Prisoner Madara, so I decided to put the battlefield storyline later.