Severance and Continuation

Izuna formed a hand seal, his two Tomoe turning slightly as flames ignited along his blade.

Fire Release: Flame Slash

This was a ninjutsu commonly used by Uchiha shinobi, but unlike the Uchiha who had used it before, the flames on Izuna's blade were noticeably darker, making them more powerful.

Impressive Chakra control, Hiugo thought. But he remained relaxed, calmly deflecting the attacks and dodging with precision whenever the blade came close to landing.

After several consecutive attacks, Izuna increased the amount of Chakra he used. The flames surged higher, then swept toward Hiugo like a vortex.

Amid the swirling flames, Hiugo praised him:

"Just what you'd expect from the Uchiha's second-ranked guy in the Warring States era. You've got a few tricks up your sleeve, but..."

"This won't kill me."

Water Release: Water Formation Pillar

A large amount of water gathered around Hiugo, forming a pillar that extinguished the flames.

Izuna's two Tomoe spun rapidly as he thrust upward and behind himself.

But a wooden palm wrapped in Water Release Chakra caught him. Hiugo pulled him back and slashed at Izuna's neck with a Kunai in his left hand.

The flames on the blade and the Water Release Chakra continuously canceled each other out until the fire went out.

At the moment of danger, Izuna's mind raced, and he chose the safest course of action.

He abandoned his sword, released the Chakra beneath his feet, dropped underwater, and threw a Kunai.

Hiugo kicked upward, knocking away the incoming Kunai. He let the Chakra in his right hand dissipate, reversed his grip on his katana, and glanced toward Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima, muttering to himself:

"Wasn't this supposed to get stopped after a little while? Why's it taking so long with one extra person? Are those two getting weak?"

Things should have gone as they usually did: after the two clan leaders had fought for a while, each would throw a weapon toward the other's child.

But Hiugo had awakened the talents of his generation ahead of time. Tobirama was stronger than he had been before, and Izuna had awakened his Sharingan at just five years old. Both sides believed their young fighter could defeat the other, so they had kept the battle going. As long as one side's young fighter died, the loss would leave a crack in the other side's resolve. That was the key to victory.

Senju Butsuma glanced toward the battlefield and shouted:

"Hiugo, quit playing around and kill him!"

Uchiha Tajima said coldly, "Madara, how much longer are you going to hesitate? Do you want to watch your brother get hurt like he did a few years ago?"

Madara shuddered. Two Tomoe appeared in his eyes, and his voice trembled as he said:

"I'm sorry, Hashirama. We haven't known each other long, but I've truly been happy during this time. The next time we meet, it'll be on the battlefield."

"Madara, you..."

Hashirama stared into Madara's eyes. After he said those words, the two Tomoe in Madara's Sharingan became three, signifying that something had been severed.

Madara looked at Hiugo and Izuna through his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Gritting his teeth, he flung the stone bearing the words they had written into the river and shouted:

"Hashirama, in the end, the foolish future we imagined was nothing but a fantasy. Your brother once nearly killed mine. The Senju and Uchiha are destined to be enemies!"

His voice steadied, turning cold.

"As a former friend, the last respect I can show you is to kill you with my own hands on the battlefield."

"Madara... Deep down, you still believe in that dream, don't you? I won't give up, even if I have to bet my life on it."

Hashirama gritted his teeth, his gaze unwavering.

"A dream... Heh... Hashirama, it can only ever be a dream, an imagined world that doesn't exist."

A glint flashed in Madara's eyes before he mocked him.

Uchiha Tajima retreated to Madara's side with Izuna and said:

"With those eyes, this trip was worth it. How about it, Madara? Think you can win?"

Madara glanced at Hashirama. "Hashirama is stronger than I am."

"Stronger than Big Brother?"

Izuna blurted out. In his eyes, Madara was the strongest shinobi.

On the other side, Tobirama ran over, looking exhausted.

As Onmyo Seimei's adopted son, Onmyo Seihou wasn't weak. But that was only if he could use his techniques.

Tobirama had spent years training his Water Body Flicker. Within the limits of his body's endurance, he kept disrupting Seihou so he couldn't get help. Then a final Water Severing Wave took his head and killed him instantly.

Butsuma made no attempt to hide his approval of Tobirama. He looked down at Hiugo and said:

"Hiugo, you're too slow. You could've done what Hashirama did and overwhelmed him with Wood Style."

Hiugo gave two cold snorts. "I'm not feeling well today. I can't control my Wood Style properly. And what about you, clan leader? Tobirama already finished his fight, and you're still dragging yours out."

"You think clan leaders are that easy to kill?"

"Izuna's a jonin, and so am I. Are we really that easy to kill?"

Hiugo knew he could kill Izuna if he got serious, but after thinking it over, he decided there was no point.

He had previously possessed the hidden ability of a "Sharingan Awakening Trigger," which let anyone he encountered break through. He wasn't sure whether Madara, with Indra's Chakra, would awaken the Mangekyo after Izuna fell.

Well, even if Izuna died, Madara still might not awaken the Mangekyo. And Black Zetsu was still around. As one of Black Zetsu's most important pawns, Madara was bound to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. If Izuna died, would he go after Tajima's eyes instead? Given Uchiha Tajima's personality, he'd probably have Madara's eyes dug out.

All things considered, killing Izuna would be as good as not killing him at all. Better not to waste the effort.

Butsuma was displeased and spoke to Hiugo in a scolding tone:

"Hiugo, you're letting a personal grudge get in the way on the battlefield. We have the numbers on our side. Seize the chance and kill him, and you'll be a hero."

Hiugo curled his lip. Trying to sell me on a pipe dream. I'd rather have two big bears. They could carry cargo, and with some training, they might even make good helpers.

The standoff didn't last long. Uchiha Tajima led his people in retreat. Senju Butsuma didn't pursue recklessly, fearing an ambush. Once he returned to the clan, he immediately lectured Hashirama.

Hashirama said nothing. He quietly pocketed the stone bearing Madara's words. He wouldn't give up—not for himself, but for Madara too. He would show him that the world in their dream could exist...

After returning to his clan, Madara locked himself in his room. Blood dripped from his hands, where his nails had dug into his flesh. But his heart hurt so much more that he hadn't noticed.

Unlike Hashirama, Madara had displayed exceptional talent for training from a young age. Combined with his proud nature, this had made him look down on every Uchiha his age except his younger brothers. As a result, he had no friends at all.

Then he met Hashirama, his first friend—and perhaps his last.

Their personalities were opposites, yet both were reincarnations of the sons of the Six Paths. Some inexplicable bond had drawn them together, allowing them to quickly "develop" a deep friendship in the short time they had known each other.

Now that they had fallen out, a fissure had opened in Madara's heart. He wasn't as calm as he appeared, especially when Hashirama said he wouldn't give up on their dream. For a moment, Madara seemed to see another version of himself standing beside Hashirama...

But he could only pretend he didn't care. That was the only way he could treat Hashirama as an enemy. He wanted Hashirama to treat him as an enemy too. That was the destiny of the Uchiha and the Senju.

For some reason, Madara's eyes felt damp. Two drops fell to the ground. He touched his face instinctively. Crying? I'm actually crying? Hashirama, you bastard. You've really made a mess of me...

Madara tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes, steadying himself. After a long while, he made his final decision:

Farewell, Hashirama.

Goodbye, Senju.