His accusations struck like a heavy hammer against the echoing walls of the past:
"Even the first Five Kage Summit, a meeting so important it would decide the shape of the Shinobi World.
You would rather bow your head to those so-called Kage than let me take part!"
"You shut me out.
You shut me, Madara Uchiha, out of your blueprint for 'peace'!"
Madara's breathing grew slightly ragged with agitation. Even after all these years, even after passing through life and death, the pain and anger of being excluded and rejected by his closest friend remained lodged deep in his soul like a poisoned thorn.
He paused, a rare, almost self-mocking harshness entering his voice:
"As much as I hate to admit it.
Back then, Tobirama Senju and I actually agreed on how to deal with the other great nations!"
"With your strength and mine, our unmatched military might, we could have wiped out the other great nations' resistance and forcibly brought the entire Shinobi World under our control!
Forged peace with iron and blood!"
Madara's voice carried an obsessive fervor and an unwavering insistence on the choice he had made long ago:
"But you refused.
You chose compromise, chose negotiation, chose your so-called balance and the distribution of the tailed beasts!
You rejected my path, and you rejected the other kind of peace we could have created together!"
He drew the sharpest possible contrast between Hashirama's lavish praise for Naruto's path now and his outright rejection of Madara's proposal back then.
The disparity and injustice set his anger ablaze.
As Hashirama Senju listened to Madara's accusations, the smile gradually faded from his face, and his eyes grew troubled and heavy.
He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to explain-the circumstances back then, the complexities of people's hearts, the dangers and