Princess Setsuna

Izuna had just finished the meeting and stepped out of the conference room when he saw a girl in a miko robe, her hair styled in a hime cut, walking toward him.

He wondered for a moment-Since when did the Hagoromo family have such a pretty child?

He couldn't help taking another look. The child seemed about the right age; perhaps arranging a match for Setsuna would be a good idea.

But the child had fixed his sights on him. He stopped directly in front of Izuna and tilted his head up to look at him.

When those sanpaku eyes showed beneath the bangs, Izuna had an inkling. Before he could speak, the child opened his mouth.

"Izuna, come with me for a moment. I need to talk to you."

That familiar voice nearly shattered Izuna's composure.

It was Setsuna.

The "little girl" dressed like a princess before him was that ferocious little baldy-Uchiha Setsuna.

Izuna opened his mouth, momentarily unsure whether to ask, "Why are you dressed like that?" or, "Why are you standing here dressed like that?"

Madara Uchiha, who had followed Izuna out of the conference room, saw the scene too.

His gaze fell on the tiny figure in a miko robe, and his steps faltered. Even his habitually cold face showed a flicker of surprise.

What boy dressed like that? How disgraceful!

Walking behind Madara, Shōgatsu looked incredulous. That demonically vicious child now looked like a spoiled young lady.

He reached out to touch the black wig on Setsuna's head.

With a sharp smack, Setsuna unceremoniously slapped his hand away.

"Why the getup?" Shōgatsu wasn't offended. He crouched down and asked with a smile.

"None of your business," Setsuna shot back bluntly.

Ignoring Shōgatsu, he turned, grabbed Izuna's clothes, and tugged hard, trying to pull him aside. "Come with me."

Izuna was dragged half a step forward, but then planted his feet and pulled Setsuna back.

"Is there something you can't say here?" Izuna asked.

Setsuna glanced at Madara Uchiha.

Madara Uchiha stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the farce.

When he met Setsuna's gaze, he raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he asked with amusement, "What is it that I'm not allowed to know?"

Izuna simply crouched down, making it clear that Setsuna should speak here.

Setsuna looked at Izuna, then at Madara Uchiha. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling that his plan to kidnap the Senju Clan's young heir was about to die before it even began.

Fine.

He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and reported:

"Sarutobi Sasuke is here. He refuses to negotiate until Shōgatsu, the Hagoromo Clan's acting leader, goes over, but I managed to coax two pieces of information out of him."

He held up one finger.

"First, Hashirama Senju has already arrived."

This news surprised no one. Clearly, they had already guessed that Hashirama Senju wouldn't be absent.

Setsuna raised a second finger. "Hashirama Senju brought his son, eight-year-old Naoki Senju, with him."

Izuna's brow furrowed sharply. This news did surprise them. "Hashirama Senju... brought his son onto the battlefield?"

"Yes." Setsuna nodded firmly.

Uchiha Izuna looked perplexed. "He doesn't seem like the sort to send his heir into the line of fire."

Setsuna explained his reasoning.

"But Sarutobi Sasuke brought his son along while mediating between the Senju and the Hagoromo. That's far too dangerous, unless bringing his son offers greater benefits. I ruled out the Hagoromo, since they have no child of the same age and standing. That leaves only the Senju-"

"So I concluded that Hashirama Senju brought his son onto the battlefield."

Everyone present was weighing the credibility of this information.

Setsuna tugged at Izuna's clothes again, signaling for Izuna to follow him. He had something to say.

His sanpaku eyes were full of urgency. Clearly, he hadn't said what he really wanted to say in front of Madara.

But Izuna remained crouched where he was, unmoved.

"What you wanted to pull me aside to discuss," Izuna said, "was kidnapping Hashirama Senju's son-Naoki Senju, wasn't it?"

Setsuna's eyes widened.

His fingers unconsciously released Izuna's sleeve, and every hair on his body bristled.

He glared at Izuna, his sanpaku eyes filled with disbelief.

How could you expose this plan in front of Madara Uchiha!

Madara Uchiha, who had been watching from the side, frowned deeply.

His pitch-black eyes swept over and settled on Setsuna. The sheer pressure of his gaze seemed to weigh down the air around them.

"How did you come up with such a despicable idea?"

Despicable.

The word became a thorn, piercing Setsuna's eardrums.

He whipped his head around, his sanpaku eyes glaring straight at Madara Uchiha.

That word ignited every rebellious impulse in him. A cold sneer slowly curled his lips.

"Despicable?" He snorted. "Get this straight. This is war. Isn't winning the whole point of war? As long as you win, who cares about the methods?"

His voice was childish, but his words were like a poisoned kunai.

"If Tobirama Senju knew your heir was on the battlefield, he'd do everything in his power to carry out a decapitation strike. Would you still stand here lecturing me about what's despicable then?"

Madara Uchiha looked down at the little boy who barely reached his thigh. "And that's why Tobirama Senju has no one's goodwill, and every shinobi clan calls him despicable."

"There's nothing wrong with being called despicable," Setsuna retorted stubbornly. "As long as you win, isn't that enough?"

Silence fell for a moment.

Madara Uchiha lowered his eyes to Setsuna, a faint trace of disappointment flickering in them.

That disappointment stung Setsuna.

He felt as though someone had slapped him hard. His body recoiled slightly, then he abruptly straightened his spine.

"I'm not wrong!"

He ripped the wig off his head and hurled it to the ground.

His smooth, bald head was exposed to everyone's eyes, but he no longer cared.

He held his head high, fire burning in his sanpaku eyes, like a young beast backed into a corner that refused to bow.

Madara Uchiha watched him in silence for a long time before slowly speaking.

"If your plan succeeded, it could indeed deal a direct blow to the Senju's morale."

Setsuna froze for a moment.

"But you've forgotten," Madara Uchiha said coldly, "Hashirama Senju is no easy opponent. Are you prepared to face his retaliation?"

Setsuna's lips moved, and he turned his head away sulkily.

Madara Uchiha snorted, each word landing like a hammer.

"Moreover, if the other shinobi clans learned that we had targeted another clan's young child, you would be putting the Uchiha in the wrong."

His voice softened. "You would be telling every shinobi clan that targeting Uchiha children is acceptable."

He gave an amused smile and asked, "Do you know what that means?"

Setsuna bit his lower lip, his fingers abruptly clenching the cuffs of his miko robe. He was convinced now. He understood what was at stake.

He answered Madara's question quietly. "It means... Uchiha children who haven't grown up yet will become priority targets for the other shinobi clans."

The chill in Madara Uchiha's tone finally eased a little. "So you aren't completely stupid after all."

He looked over Setsuna's head toward the Senju camp.

The mountain wind blew from that direction, stirring his long black hair and carrying his voice far away.

"If Hashirama Senju weren't consistently generous toward others and able to put people at ease, Tobirama Senju's habit of purging dissenters within and exterminating enemies without would soon make the Senju everyone's target."

Setsuna abruptly lifted his head and looked at Madara Uchiha.

"As everyone knows, Tobirama Senju single-handedly devises the Senju Clan's policies and systems." Madara Uchiha clearly understood this opponent who had fought the Uchiha for years. "Yet their overall direction is still guided by the seemingly unreliable Hashirama Senju. Not because he's strong-"

His gaze returned to Setsuna.

"But because he's the only one who can rein in that brother of his, who offends people everywhere he goes."

Setsuna fell silent.

He remembered how, in the original story, Tobirama Senju had taken power after Hashirama Senju's death.

The Uchiha had swiftly been marginalized, the Hyuga brought to heel next, and all the clans with bloodline abilities rapidly pushed out of the circles of power.

The Hokage's inner circle had been replaced with members of small clans who posed no threat to him.

Tobirama Senju had ruled for only five short years before the First Shinobi World War broke out.

Konoha's loss of Hashirama Senju, its strongest fighter, had certainly played a part, but Tobirama Senju's hard-line foreign stance was also one reason the other four great nations had targeted Konoha.

He had never connected these events before.

To him, Tobirama Senju was a devious opponent, while Hashirama Senju was a laughably naive idealist.

But now Madara had laid that underlying logic bare for him-sometimes, refusing despicable methods and treating others generously was how you left yourself and your clan a way out.

And Madara Uchiha-

Setsuna furtively lifted his eyes to the man standing before him.

This man, whom players called "Lord Madara" in the game, who always wore an arrogant expression, was now teaching him how to see the true nature of war.

Madara Uchiha turned sideways, making room for Shōgatsu to leave first.

Shōgatsu looked at Madara, then at Setsuna, and sighed softly before leading the Hagoromo group toward the Second Settlement.

Madara Uchiha then reached out and seized Setsuna by the back of his collar.

Setsuna's body rose into the air, the sleeves of his miko robe hanging down and swaying.

"You need to learn a few lessons."

Setsuna didn't struggle.

He hung his head and pressed his lips together. Dressed in girls' clothes, with his smooth bald head reflecting the sunlight, he looked ridiculous from every angle.

He didn't want to speak.

He didn't want to admit he was wrong in front of Madara Uchiha, the man who would one day be so thoroughly deceived.

But.

But I can't find a reason to refute a single word he said.

That was the most infuriating part.

He's right.

He gritted his teeth and finally squeezed out a muffled sentence.

"...Got it."

Ding! Rebelled against yourself. Rebellion points +15!