Uchiha Gen had personally watched Uzumaki Mito set up Konoha's barrier. No one knew better than him how strong its defenses were. Even he would have needed to form several Rasengan just to tear open a crack.
Yet this black energy sphere had shattered the barrier in one blow. Its power was self-evident.
"Wooo—!!"
Konoha had come under attack. The alarm immediately sounded, putting the village on highest alert. Hashirama Senju leaped straight onto the roof of Konoha's tallest building... Paradise on Earth.
"A bathhouse really ruins the mood here... pfft... hahahaha."
Uchiha Gen had not wanted to laugh. This was clearly a serious matter, but seeing Hashirama standing solemnly atop the bathhouse's colorful sign still made him burst out laughing.
Standing high above, Hashirama stared into the distance. The sudden unease in his heart told him who it was without needing to guess.
"Madara..."
Whoosh!
From Hokage Rock, Uchiha Gen watched Hashirama race toward the setting sun and sighed. Those two really were best friends.
"Madara probably captured the Nine-Tails again. The inertia of history is truly strong."
Since Madara had arrived riding the Nine-Tails, the battle at the Valley of the End would come next. After some thought, Uchiha Gen decided it was best not to get involved. He turned and returned to the Clan Land. After all, later that night, he still had to receive his big brother's "corpse."
Meanwhile, Hashirama had already met Madara. Seeing each other again after several years, they were both stirred with emotion, calling out to each other from afar.
"Hashirama! Long time no see!"
"Madara! You should not have come back!"
"Ahahaha, you haven't changed at all! Today, I'll destroy the cage binding you with my own hands!"
Hashirama froze at those words. A cage? Konoha?... That was not a cage,