The weather was still sunny and bright, but the atmosphere in the little place called the Naka River was tense. The two groups faced off, bristling with hostility, coldness in their eyes. The air itself seemed to carry a chill.
Or perhaps it was the killing intent.
Although Senju Kyogawa's sudden arrival had eased the tension somewhat, it hadn't changed anything.
Across from him, Izuna Uchiha kept his eyes fixed on Senju Kyogawa. The whites of his eyes had turned faintly red, and he looked furious. Senju Kyogawa couldn't even avoid his gaze.
To put it bluntly, Senju Kyogawa almost thought Izuna wanted to eat him.
Uchiha Tajima didn't dwell for long on the fact that Senju Butsuma had an obscure fifth son, because he didn't think Senju Kyogawa was important.
But given the situation, the Uchiha were actually at a disadvantage. He didn't know how strong Senju Kyogawa was, but he was still a ninja. It was four against three, which gave the Senju the upper hand.
What's more, Uchiha Tajima could sense that Izuna Uchiha beside him was far too unsettled. A ninja had to stay calm at all times, or risk falling into a disadvantage.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama each stood in front of their younger brothers.
Uchiha Madara still looked somewhat shaken. In a stiff, solemn voice, he said:
"I will never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my younger brother!"
Senju Hashirama replied without backing down, "Neither will I."
His expression was unusually serious, after all. Just moments ago, his second younger brother—Senju Tobirama—had almost died right in front of him.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara stood at daggers drawn, while Senju Tobirama stared at his older brother in astonishment. A warm feeling welled up inside him.
"Hashirama..." Uchiha Madara suddenly spoke.
Senju Hashirama answered, "What is it?"
"All those silly, beautiful things we talked about... In the end, we might really never get there..."
The wind suddenly rose, sweeping away the leaves scattered across the ground. It stirred the waters of the Naka River and ruffled the hearts of a few young boys who longed for peace.
"Madara, you..." Senju Hashirama looked utterly disbelieving.
"It was only for a short time, but I was truly happy, Hashirama..." Uchiha Madara closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze was resolute.
What was this?!
Was Uchiha Madara really going to cut ties with Senju Hashirama? Was he abandoning the ideal the three of them shared?
Senju Kyogawa didn't know how Senju Hashirama felt, but he was thoroughly unhappy. He knew Madara might only be saying this as a way to deal with the situation, but still.
At that moment, the five-year-old's feelings overwhelmed Senju Kyogawa's adult rationality. He cut Uchiha Madara off and shouted:
"How could we never get there?! That future is possible! Brother Madara, I don't believe you'd just give up like this!"
As soon as Senju Kyogawa finished speaking, everyone present turned to look at him.
There was a thoughtful look in Uchiha Tajima's eyes, while Senju Butsuma's gaze was probing. Senju Tobirama looked utterly incredulous—it was obvious he hadn't expected both his older and younger brothers to be acquainted with Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Madara looked moved, while Senju Hashirama gave Senju Kyogawa an approving thumbs-up and grinned, showing a row of brilliant white teeth that gleamed in the sunlight.
So bright...
[Master, you're so brave~] Ugly Monster secretly teased Senju Kyogawa from within the flames.
Senju Kyogawa suddenly felt awkward. Those gazes seemed almost tangible as they stared right through him, leaving him with prickles up his back.
Oh no... I'm going to get punished too, aren't I...? Senju Kyogawa began to regret his impulsiveness. Maybe it was a side effect of playing a little kid for too long.
"Right! Madara—I won't forget our shared ideal either!" Senju Hashirama said with a smile.
"Three against four, Madara. Can you handle it?" Uchiha Tajima ignored Senju Hashirama and asked Uchiha Madara directly.
Uchiha Madara lowered his lashes and spoke in a solemn voice:
"No. We can't..."
"Kyogawa is strong... He's the child I told you about, the one I met in the Land of Lightning."
Uchiha Tajima's expression turned troubled when he heard Uchiha Madara say that. He hadn't expected everything they'd already planned to end in failure.
"Let's go..." Uchiha Madara turned and walked away.
Senju Hashirama was still unwilling to give up. He bit his lip, then called after Uchiha Madara:
"Madara, you haven't really given up, have you?"
"You think the same way I do—and Kyogawa does too..."
Uchiha Madara abruptly cut him off. "You and Kyogawa are both Senju."
"If only our beliefs were different."
"My brothers were killed by the Senju Clan, and your clansmen died at the hands of the Uchiha Clan. There's no point in being honest with each other anymore... From now on, we'll meet on the battlefield..."
Senju Kyogawa closed his eyes. The faces of the departed Itama and Kawarama seemed to appear before him again. Perhaps this was the hatred that stood between the Senju and the Uchiha Clan: brothers died, and that alone was enough to keep the two clans locked in a relentless struggle.
It was a hard question to answer...
"Senju Hashirama, I am Uchiha Madara!" After saying this, Uchiha Madara whipped his head around, revealing his scarlet Sharingan. A sinister One-Tomoe Sharingan gleamed in his eyes.
Senju Kyogawa stared in shock. Uchiha Tajima and Izuna Uchiha, on the other hand, were clearly delighted that Madara had awakened his One-Tomoe Sharingan.
Although they hadn't killed Senju Butsuma's son, Uchiha Madara had awakened his eyes, and they'd also learned about Senju Kyogawa. It was hard to say whether this attempt to tear the two apart had been a blessing or a curse for the Senju Clan.
Senju Kyogawa suddenly felt as if he understood what it took to awaken the Sharingan—
Moments ago, Uchiha Madara's eyes had held unmistakable anguish: the pain of ideals clashing with reality, the pain of having to choose between his younger brother and his friend...
So, awakening the Sharingan meant that tremendous pain was about to descend?
Senju Kyogawa thought, feeling a little lost.
The next second—
Izuna, who was about to leave with Uchiha Tajima and Uchiha Madara, suddenly stopped. He spun around and shouted at Senju Kyogawa's back:
"Kyogawa... No, Senju Kyogawa! You big liar—"
"Next time we meet, it'll be on the battlefield."
"Then we'll have a proper, fair fight!"
"I—Izuna Uchiha—will definitely defeat you—"
The eye he revealed was no longer the beautiful, clearly black-and-white eye he'd had before. His eye socket now held a Sharingan just like Uchiha Madara's.
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