Madara: You'll Regret This, Hashirama!

The appearance of Uchiha Yoru stirred up a long-lost sense of crisis in Madara's heart.

Even though he still deeply loved the village, he resolutely decided to tell Hashirama about it, despite the unresolved rift between Hashirama.

Hokage's Office

The morning light slanted through the window, illuminating the wooden desk that exuded a pleasant aroma.

Senju Hashirama listened to Madara's description with a solemn expression, his gaze as deep as ever.

"You've never described any enemy like that before."

His tone was calm, yet carried undeniable weight. "This shows... you really feel uneasy."

Ban remained silent, only nodding slightly.

"I trust your judgment." Hashirama turned and looked out the window at the flourishing Konoha. "If he is truly as you say, then he may not only be a threat to Konoha, but could be a variable for the entire Ninja World."

Standing to the side, Senju Tobirama kept his brows furrowed and spoke in a low voice:

"You said he was wearing clothing with the Uchiha Clan crests?"

His tone was extremely calm, yet it carried a hint of wariness.

Ban glanced at him sharply.

Hashirama noticed the slight change in the atmosphere and said slowly:

"Tobirama, don't jump to conclusions."

"Brother, I only said that I was wearing the Uchiha Clan mark and possessed unknown power, without revealing my intentions."

Tobirama said slowly, "Don't you think—this is more like the Uchiha Clan's usual dangerous style?"

Ban snorted coldly, his eyes narrowing.

"If you want to bring up this old matter again, you can just say so."

Tobirama remained silent, simply folding his hands in front of his chest and observing coldly.

Hashirama raised his hand to signal calm, but his tone was even more somber. "This matter needs to be treated with caution."

Whoever he is or where he came from, now that he has appeared before Madara, it cannot be without reason."

A rare look of worry flashed in his eyes.

"We must stop him."

Tobirama's tone was resolute, his eyes filled with an unquestionable, cold judgment.

"That guy appeared too suddenly, his origins are unknown, his aura is unreasonably powerful, yet he's also wearing the Uchiha Clan crest..."

He spoke slowly, but every word was like a knife. "I will not allow the village to experience another instance of betrayal and betrayal."

Ban's knuckles slowly clenched, and a trace of blood seeped from his palm.

Hashirama didn't speak immediately, but turned his head and looked into Madara's eyes with a complicated expression.

In that instant, Madara understood.

--It wasn't just Tobirama who was having doubts; even you, Hashirama, were wavering.

His heart felt as if it had been suddenly crushed by a heavy object, or as if it had sunk to the bottom of a cold lake.

"So, in your eyes, any news I bring is still poison."

Ban spoke in a low voice, but his tone was filled with barely concealed resentment.

"Do you all think I would tolerate a madman with the Uchiha Clan markings running rampant in the village?"

"Senju Tobirama, I can understand." Madara suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with sharpness. "But what about Hashirama?"

"You once said that no matter which side I was on, you would believe me."

"And now?"

Hashirama moved his lips, but ultimately didn't say anything.

Tobirama sneered, his tone icy. "All you care about is your own emotions."

"Ban! Now is not the time for you to judge our level of trust."

"The real issue is that this village needs to determine—who is the threat."

"Enough!"

Hashirama rebuke, but his voice was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Ban suddenly turned around, his robes billowing in the wind, his footsteps echoing like thunder on the wooden floor.

"--Then pretend I was never here."

"You can investigate him if you want, you can deal with him if you want, it's all up to you!"

"But when you realize—that you can never stop a mysterious and terrifying being—"

He flung open the office door, and sunlight streamed down his cold, indifferent back.

"You'll regret this, Hashirama!"

The door slammed shut, and the Hokage's office fell into a brief silence.

Hashirama stood motionless for a long time, his gaze deep, his whisper like a sigh:

"He... has become more paranoid than before."

Tobirama said coldly, "No, they're more like enemies."

"Big Brother is the Hokage!"

Hashirama did not respond, but simply looked up at the azure sky outside the window, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Uchiha Clan Base

Madara burst out of the Hokage Building, his black hair flying, his steps steady yet exuding a murderous aura. Several patrolling Anbu kept their distance, not daring to approach and speak to him.

He didn't use the Body Flicker Technique, but instead walked step by step back to that familiar yet tiresome place— the Uchiha Clan's stronghold.

The streets remained clean, the courtyards tidy, children chased each other in the alleyways, and young ninjas repaired their weapons. Everything was as usual, as peaceful as if nothing had ever happened.

However, the noise stopped abruptly as soon as he appeared.

Everyone saw him— Uchiha Madara.

But no one came up to greet them.

Some elders looked at him with complicated expressions, as if sighing; some younger members of the tribe lowered their heads and walked away quickly, as if unwilling to meet his gaze.

Ban's expression was cold and stern as he slowly swept his gaze over everything.

"They've gotten used to bowing their heads."

He sneered inwardly, but remained unmoved. The loneliness and anger within him had long since cooled into cold iron.

Just as he turned to leave, an Uchiha Clan Head quickly stepped forward, attempting to persuade him in a low voice:

"Madara, Konoha now cannot afford any more turmoil. Our long-term solution is to coexist with the village."

"Coexistence?" Madara's eyes turned cold. "Is being monitored, guarded against, and sidelined in silence what you call 'coexistence'?"

The old man's expression froze, but he ultimately remained silent.

Ban sneered and turned to leave.

"You can continue to be your obedient citizens, the pride of the Uchiha Clan —we don't need to be dragged down by you."

He didn't look back, and embarked on the mountain road leading to the outskirts of Konoha.

Behind them, the Uchiha Clan's stronghold returned to peace.

But no one dared to mention him again.

Outside Konoha

A breeze swept through the woods, carrying a cool scent. Leaves drifted down and landed on the quiet ancient path, gently tracing the mottled footprints, as if telling a story long forgotten.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the earth, dyed the sky red, and stretched the shadows of the freckles long.

The figure carrying the Gunbai seemed frozen in the sunset, Earth Flow quietly on the road that had once been opened up for the village.

Now, this road has become his way home after leaving Konoha, silent and resolute.

The whole world seemed to stand still at that moment, except for Ban's steps, which, with the last rays of the setting sun, moved further and further away from his former home.

He didn't turn around, but a barely suppressed sense of sarcasm welled up inside him.

In the end, I was still misled.

A slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, a smile colder than the biting wind, said, "The future of the Uchiha Clan is not to be interfered with by others."

Suddenly, a subtle spatial fluctuation swept through, and a familiar yet strange aura filled the air.

Ban suddenly turned around.

In his vision, the void distorted slightly, and a figure appeared from it.

He could see it clearly; it was—the mysterious Uchiha Clan he had seen with his own eyes.

"How dare you show your face again!" Madara's eyes flashed with anger and vigilance, and he reacted immediately, his hand clenching slightly.

However, Uchiha Yoru did not rush to answer, and calmly stepped towards Madara.

His gaze was as calm as the deep sea, yet it exuded an unfathomable aura.

"You chose to leave because of the stubbornness of your people and the rejection from the Senju Clan."

"But in the future I foresee, you did not yield; instead, you forged the destiny of the Ninja World with blood and fire."

"You've reached a peak that those people can't even dream of."

"You won all of this, but in that victory, you lost yourself."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ban's eyes, his cold aura softened slightly, and he raised an eyebrow.

"So you came here to stop me?"

"No." Night's voice was calm and firm, carrying an unwavering resolve. "I only want to ask you, are you willing to accept this?"

His eyes were as deep and still as an ancient well, completely unmoved.

A moment of silence fell over the air, as if everything had been frozen.

A smile crept onto Ban's lips, and the fire and determination in his eyes gradually rekindled, as if he had already made his decision.

"Interesting."

He didn't look back, but simply turned slightly, facing forward, his figure gradually disappearing into the distance, as if bidding a complete farewell to this land that was once his 'home'.