The Forest of Death.
The area was a wreck, even more devastated than it had been after Hashirama Senju's battle with Urashiki Otsutsuki. Hashirama sat on the ground, looking utterly dejected.
Madara Uchiha sat cross-legged as well, his Gunbai propped against his hand, but he wore a proud expression.
He stared at Hashirama.
Then he scoffed. "It's rare to see you in such a sorry state."
Hashirama scratched his head and laughed. "Well, we're both dead. Why care so much about who wins? Hahaha!"
"..."
Madara frowned slightly and gave a cold snort. "Looking at the mess the Shinobi World is in now, what do you think?"
"What about my vision? Ready to agree with me?"
Hashirama shook his head and said wistfully, "What good would disagreeing do? That young man's vision is just like yours, and we're... both dead."
"..."
Madara fell silent for a moment. "No, I don't think so. Shinji seems to have ideas of his own."
Hashirama blinked. "Hm? But he told me before..."
"Hah."
Madara scoffed. "I've spent years thinking about war and peace. I've never stopped..."
"I once believed division was the root of every war, and that giving away all the Tailed Beasts was an act of staggering stupidity! I thought the only way to end war for good was to unite every people through absolute power and establish a centralized government ruled by overwhelming force..."
Madara paused, a trace of uncertainty crossing his eyes. "But after you died, war broke out almost as if it had been waiting for that moment. I couldn't help wondering: if you had lived, would it have mattered whether the Shinobi World had one nation or ten? Would it have mattered whether you gave away the Tailed Beasts or kept them?"
Hashirama opened his mouth. "Madara..."
"Shut