"The Uchiha Clan will leave the Land of Fire!"
Madara's voice was low yet unquestionable, reaching everyone's ears with perfect clarity. His words stirred up a storm!
"What?!"
Hashirama cried out in disbelief. The surrounding Uchiha clansmen were equally stunned, while Tobirama remained calm, as though he had expected this all along.
Hashirama hurriedly asked, "Leave the Land of Fire? Then where will you go?"
"Where we go is none of your concern." Madara swept his gaze across the battlefield, his authoritative voice ringing in everyone's ears. "Those who do not wish to leave may choose to stay."
"Wait, Madara! I never meant to drive you away!" Hashirama hurriedly explained. "The grudges between our two clans should not continue. We can build a homeland together and welcome every clan in the Land of Fire. Wasn't that our childhood dream?"
"That is exactly why, Hashirama, you are still so naive. You are obsessed with your own fantasies, but reality will not unfold according to them." Madara cut him off in a deep voice. "Can the blood spilled over a hundred years truly be wiped away by a single sentence from you? Our presence may be able to forcibly suppress this conflict, but someday, once hatred and prejudice erupt, the only result will be destruction!"
The Uchiha clansmen exchanged glances. The Uchiha Clan had lived in the Land of Fire for more than a century, leaving behind far too much blood and sorrow. Leaving the Land of Fire meant abandoning their homeland, and the road ahead was filled with the unknown and danger. Staying would inevitably mean facing exclusion, but at least they would not have to leave the home where they had survived until now.
However, the Uchiha Clan was still relatively united, and they remained supportive of Uchiha Madara. After a brief moment of thought, without exception, everyone stepped behind Madara, choosing to continue following their leader.
Madara gave Hashirama one final look, then turned to lead his people away.
"Big Brother, we can't let them go!"
At that moment, Tobirama, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke. "Big Brother, letting them go now is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. Sooner or later, they will bring us harm. We might as well eradicate them completely here and now!"
As soon as he spoke, the air around them grew tense once more. The ninjas on both sides instinctively placed their hands back on their weapons, warily watching one another's every movement.
"Tobirama Senju, you are welcome to try. At worst, we'll all perish together!"
A sudden voice rang out beside them. Turning their heads, they saw Enkō striding steadily over from the left, followed by the vast ranks of the Chinoike Clan.
"I admit that if the Senju Clan fights with everything it has, you may have the power to wipe out our Uchiha Clan. But how much fighting strength would you have left afterward? At the very least, whether you, Tobirama Senju, could survive would be questionable."
Enkō came to stand beside his two older brothers and fearlessly faced the two Senju brothers. "Furthermore, I have already stationed people along the borders of the Land of Wind and Lightning Country. If they do not receive an additional message from me, then in three days, they will spread word within both countries that the Senju Clan has been severely weakened. I would like to see whether you will still have the strength to withstand their attacks then!"
"Heh, quite the method." Tobirama's expression shifted slightly, though his tone remained icy. "Wiping out the Uchiha Clan may be difficult, but killing a few of its leaders is not impossible!"
Madara frowned as chakra surged throughout his body. "You can try."
"Hmph, Madara, do you think I fear you? How much of your strength can you even use now?"
"Enough, Tobirama!"
Just as the two sides stood at the brink of battle, Hashirama raised a hand and pressed it onto Tobirama's shoulder. His entire face was concealed beneath the shadow of his long hair, making his expression impossible to see, but his voice carried a trace of desolation. "Let them go."
"Big Brother... you! Sigh..."
Tobirama let out a sigh. He knew that today's matter would likely end here.
Madara gave Hashirama a complicated look, then silently turned away. "Let's go!"
Enkō quietly breathed a sigh of relief as well, then said one last thing, "In three days, our Uchiha Clan will leave the Land of Fire!"
And so, Madara walked at the very front with his gunbai on his back. Izuna and Enkō walked at either side of him, followed by every ninja of the Uchiha Clan and the Chinoike Clan!
This time, Madara's back was no longer a solitary one!
Hashirama silently watched them leave. In the end, he sighed and led everyone remaining in the opposite direction.
The evening sun dyed half the sky red. The two sides gradually drifted farther and farther apart until they vanished beyond the horizon, leaving only a hazy shadow stretching across the center of the earth...
One day later, Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Inside the central tent, Uchiha Madara sat at the head of the table. Before him was a massive round conference table, around which several high-ranking members of the Uchiha and Chinoike Clans were seated. The atmosphere was somewhat heavy, and every face bore a trace of confusion about the future.
After a long while, someone finally asked, "Clan Head, what should we do next...?"
Madara turned to Enkō. "Enkō, you explain."
Enkō nodded. After sweeping his gaze across everyone's expressions, he slowly said, "Everyone, the war is over. We did indeed lose to the Senju Clan, but this is only a temporary defeat. One day, we will return to this country and reclaim everything that belongs to us."
"But Lord Enkō, when we lost before, we still had a chance to win it back. This time, we do not even have a home anymore. We do not even know where to go. Are we supposed to seize territory in another major country?"
As soon as those words fell, the others also turned to look at him. In truth, no one feared defeat. What they feared was helplessness and uncertainty about the future.
Enkō did not hide anything further. He directly took out a map of the Shinobi World and spread it across the table. "Aside from the Land of Fire, the other four major countries have also begun to stabilize internally and are moving toward unification. If we enter now, we will only face fierce resistance. That would not be wise."
"Therefore, our future plan will proceed in stages. First, we will seize a small country as our foundation. Once we stabilize, we will expand outward and forge a sixth power no weaker than the major countries. When that time comes, it will be time for our revenge."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all turned their gazes toward the map. Izuna urged, "Where exactly is it?"
"In fact, I have already sent a team there to muddy the waters. Now, it is the perfect time for us to reap the rewards." As Enkō spoke, he extended a finger and pointed to a location on the map.
"And this will be the starting point of our struggle for the world. Although its territory is not as vast as that of a major country, its land and resources are enough for our early development. In three days, we will leave the Land of Fire and begin our new journey!"
Before you continue