This was the second time Madara and Hashirama had met Yuya.
Yuya's presence had grown even more extraordinary. Every time they saw this being,
they could not help feeling awestruck.
It was a feeling neither could describe.
It was as though anything else amounted to nothing before him.
In his presence, all things seemed to lose their luster.
There was also something inexplicably familiar about him,
something that stirred their bloodlines and the chakra within them.
Even men as proud as they were felt the urge to follow him.
The aura that radiated invisibly around him affected them without their knowing,
soothing their emotions and quietly easing the desires and obsessions in their hearts.
Madara and Hashirama drew a deep breath.
For a moment, neither knew what to say.
In fact, almost as soon as they had thought of asking Yuya to help appoint a Hokage,
they had inexplicably been summoned here.
Now Madara felt a little regret.
Was it really right to trouble this elder over something as trivial as choosing a Hokage?
Before either of them could speak,
"I already know your thoughts."
Yuya spoke calmly and waved a hand, conjuring an invisible gateway in the surrounding chaos.
"Step through that gateway and enter the Training Ground. Whoever clears the most stages shall become Hokage."
"Yes, elder!"
Madara and Hashirama answered together and bowed,
then walked toward the gateway.
Countless manifestations of Dao Resonance unfolded within it, radiating rainbow light and all manner of strange mysteries.
Neither knew what awaited them beyond the gateway,
but their trust in Yuya let them advance without hesitation.
Once the gateway had swallowed them completely,
a trace of complexity flickered through Yuya's ever-impassive gaze.
"This world... really does suffer one disaster after another..."
He murmured, staring absently in one direction with eyes