Heart to Heart

"That was never a battlefield accident; it was a meticulously planned betrayal."

He lowered his eyes to look at his outstretched palm, his eyes churning with years of suppressed melancholy. After a long while, he looked up at Madara beside him, his scarlet Sharingan quiet and dim in the moonlight.

"So I understand your thoughts all too well right now. You're not really asking about magic; you're just hoping there's a way to bring Izuna Uchiha back from the Pure Land without paying any price, to make up for the biggest regret of your life."

Ban did not argue; silence was the most truthful answer.

Natsu looked again at the Gecko flowing at her feet, her tone calm, each word a sincere monologue from the bottom of her heart.

"I've longed for this countless times. I want my parents to come back, to ask them in person why they resolutely took on that mission, knowing that the road ahead was likely a trap."

I want them to see the Uchiha of today, no longer pawns manipulated by others in the cracks of Konoha, no longer prisoners monitored day and night by Danzo, but a truly established and resolute Uchiha."

"But I can't do it."

He let out a soft breath, a mixture of relief and helplessness.

"Even if I controlled the Rinnegan, I wouldn't do that. I know their personalities too well. If we were to meet again, they would most likely beat me up first, and then give me a good lecture. They risked everything to protect me as I grew up, never so that I would risk my life to bring them back."

Ban's lips trembled very slightly.

It wasn't exactly a smile; it was more like the bittersweet feeling of having one's deepest secrets precisely exposed, leaving one powerless to refute and unable to find solace.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, which was terribly hoarse.

"My parents would probably be the same."

He paused, a rare touch of tenderness appearing in his eyes, adding a word of reminiscence of the past.

"It's just that my father is more strict and long-winded. He would definitely start by scolding me before physically disciplining me."

"Uchiha Tajima- senpai," Natsu replied softly, her tone calm, "The leader of the Uchiha during the Sengoku period, renowned throughout the Ninja World for his strictness and decisiveness."

"Hmm." Madara responded softly, a rare tenderness flashing in his eyes, all traces of murderous ruthlessness gone.

"He was very strict. But every time he returned from battle, he would secretly bring me and Izuna Uchiha some mochi Dango."

He always complained that boys were too delicate for sweets, but what he brought back was always our two brothers' favorite flavor.

The night grew increasingly quiet, the gentle breeze soothing away the past and regrets between the two.

After another long silence, Madara suddenly spoke softly, asking the question that had been hidden in his heart.

"If Izuna Uchiha were still alive, would he blame me?"

Natsu pondered for a moment, her tone both sincere and gentle.

"Yes, he will definitely scold you harshly, calling you stubborn and obstinate. But after he's done scolding you, his first question will definitely be—'Has Hashirama bullied you?'"

Upon hearing this, Ban let out a very faint laugh, so faint it almost blended into the evening breeze, carrying a long-lost sense of relaxation.

"There's no need for him to ask any more questions. Now, Hashirama is only left to be suppressed by me."

Natsu didn't reply, but simply picked up the cold teacup and gently touched the back of Ban's hand, which was hanging down on her knee, with the rim of the cup.

The porcelain touched the bone, producing a soft, crisp sound, quiet and gentle, more powerful than a thousand words.

In the distance, the faint sound of the Naka River flowing could be heard, drifting in on the evening breeze, making the night under the corridor even more peaceful.

Izuna Uchiha remained forever in the war-torn Warring Sengoku, while his parents rested in the smoke of the Third Shinobi World War.

Those most precious people, in the end, could not be kept, and will never return.

But at this moment, two Uchiha, burdened with similar regrets and having tasted the same loneliness, embraced each other in silent tenderness under the Gecko of this other world, finally no longer alone.

As the night deepened, the entire Flame Ninja Village fell into a deep slumber.

Ban had already gotten up and returned to his room. The noise and chatter had all subsided, and Natsu was now the only one left on the corridor.

The cooled teacup still sat quietly on the bluestone floor, the bright Gecko spilling over the eaves, coating the white rim of the cup with a thin layer of silver frost.

A cool night breeze stirred the shadows along the corridor, but Natsu was wide awake.

The all-night chat with Madara still lingered in my mind. The Rinnegan, the Rinne Rebirth Technique, Izuna Uchiha buried deep in the Pure Land, my own parents who died young... each and every one of these was a deep-seated obsession I dared not easily touch.

After sitting quietly for a long time, he finally summoned the system interface in the depths of his consciousness.

A pale blue virtual screen suddenly unfolded and floated before my eyes, the neat text cold and blunt, devoid of any human warmth.

Natsu gazed quietly at the fluorescent light, remaining silent for a long time before speaking softly, her voice light yet unusually firm.

"System, if I awaken the Rinnegan and use the Rinne Rebirth Technique, can I withstand the backlash of this Forbidden Technique?"

The text on the light screen slowly scrolled and refreshed, finally settling on a single line of answers.

The Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique backlash of reincarnation is essentially that the caster's life force reserves are insufficient to support the operation of the spell.

With the host's current remaining lifespan, the cost of the technique can be completely offset, and there is no fear of backlash.

Natsu stared at the line of text for a long time, her heart filled with complex emotions.

This was a result he had anticipated, but had never dared to confirm easily.

After a long pause, he slowly exhaled a breath of pent-up frustration, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and asked the second question that had been lingering in his mind.

"If Madara Uchiha were to officially join my Uchiha lineage, would it activate the Family Trait?"

This time, the system responded faster, more efficiently, and without any unnecessary explanations.

Madara Uchiha was a legitimate member of the Uchiha clan. Upon returning to the clan, all Family Trait were immediately unlocked, with no thresholds, prerequisites, or qualifications required.

The text ends with a very simple note. "Simply because he is Madara Uchiha."

Upon seeing this, Natsu's lips finally curved into a faint smile.

What warmed his heart was not the confidence he had gained from mastering the forbidden resurrection Forbidden Technique, but rather the loneliness and regret he had glimpsed in Madara's eyes under the moonlight that mirrored his own.

He was powerless to change his fate before, but now he finally has the chance to prevent this deep-seated regret from becoming eternal.

Natsu raised her hand to put away the system light screen, leaned her back gently against the cool corridor pillar, and looked up at the lonely, cold moon hanging in the sky.

In the exclusive laboratory on Origin Island, various Gene Serum samples are displayed layer by layer. Vallen and Caesar Clown's research has been iterated and updated, and the second-generation Light of Susanoo technology is becoming increasingly mature.