At some point, Yanbai had become the one doing all the talking, while Madara Uchiha only responded now and then. Most of the time, it was as though Yanbai was talking to himself.
Madara Uchiha usually wore a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
But the subject they broached tonight had wiped that smile off Madara's face.
The two fell silent for a long while. Madara Uchiha was about to say something when he heard Yanbai murmur, "No, Madara... I don't think I can sleep yet. I still can't let my guard down."
Madara Uchiha frowned at that. "What's wrong?"
But Yanbai fell silent.
He had descended into this world so many times. Although every version followed roughly the same plot, there were always many differences in the details.
Yet the momentum of the plot meant that changing part of it could lead to even more repulsive developments.
He recalled how Hashirama had been beaten by their father back then. If Yanbai kept Hashirama from being beaten, he would surely be the one taking the blows instead. Of course, because he had acted in time, neither he nor his eldest brother had actually been beaten.
Then there was the time Madara and Hashirama were supposed to fall out. Yanbai's intervention had prevented a true rupture, but he had still needed to take many precautions to get them through it peacefully.
Yanbai recalled many things that had happened in versions other than this one.
Times when his failure to think everything through had made things even more terrifying.
For instance, after establishing the Shinobi Village and talking Hashirama and Madara around, he had thought everything was fine. Then he went off to have some fun, only to return and find that they had still fallen out for one reason or another... The Battle