The Challenge Was Accepted

The next day, Ryuto and Hashirama sat staring at each other inside the tent.

On the table were empty tea bowls and a copy of the challenge they had already sent out.

"Madara should have finished reading it by now," Ryuto said.

"He has." Hashirama nodded. "Knowing him, he won't drag this out. Right now, he's either cursing up a storm or figuring out how to reply."

"Cursing up a storm?" Ryuto laughed. "He does that?"

"He did as a kid." Hashirama smiled too. "When he lost to me at skipping stones, he had quite a mouth on him. But now... probably the latter. Figuring out his reply."

"Do you think he'll accept?"

"Yes," Hashirama said with certainty. "But he won't just accept it as it is. He'll definitely add conditions."

"What conditions?"

Hashirama thought for a moment.

"First, he might choose the location. Somewhere that favors him, or at least looks fair."

"And second?"

"Second, the rules." Hashirama looked at Ryuto. "I said, 'A showdown between our strongest fighters to settle the outcome.' That's too vague. Madara likes things clearly defined, especially when winning and losing are involved. He might set rigid rules, like... no holds barred, a fight to the death."

Ryuto frowned.

"He'd take it that far?"

"In Madara's eyes, only that counts as a real 'showdown,'" Hashirama said. "Minor skirmishes won't prove who's better."

"And third?"

"Third..." Hashirama paused. "You."

"Me?"

"Yes," Hashirama said. "The challenge only said, 'Each side will field its strongest fighters.' But last time, Madara said you had to participate. I expect he'll explicitly put that in his reply. He might even... assign the opponents."

Ryuto understood.

Madara wanted to test the goods himself.

"So what do you think?" Ryuto asked. "If he really specifies that I have to fight him, would you agree?"

"Of course," Hashirama said. "Why wouldn't I? You were going to participate anyway. Besides, fighting Madara won't do you any harm. Naturally, that's assuming we settle the other conditions first. We can't let him gain too much of an advantage."

As they were talking, a fluttering sound came from outside the tent.

A gray messenger hawk landed on the wooden stand outside the entrance, a small bamboo tube tied to its leg.

"It's here." Hashirama stood up.

Ryuto followed him outside.

Hashirama untied the bamboo tube and tipped out the small scroll inside. The scroll was dark, with a war fan emblem on it.

The Uchiha clan crest.

Back inside the tent, Hashirama placed the scroll on the table without opening it right away.

"Guess what it says," Hashirama said.

"My guess... he agreed, but wants to change the rules. Two against two, a Deathmatch, one month from now," Ryuto said.

Hashirama glanced at him.

"When did you learn to see the future?"

"That's not seeing the future," Ryuto said. "It's putting myself in his shoes. A guy like Madara has only a few things going on in his head. He's competitive, admires strength, and likes things simple and brutal. Give him a vague proposal, and he'll refine it into the most extreme version possible. Two against two, a Deathmatch, with enough time left for him to prepare. Perfectly in character."

Hashirama laughed.

"That makes sense."

He untied the thin cord around the scroll and unrolled it.

They leaned in to read.

The handwriting was wild, its strokes looking as though they had been hacked out with a blade.

The message was short.

"I have read your challenge. I agree to the showdown, but the rules must change: two against two, a Deathmatch. Time: one month from now. Location: the Grand Canyon to the east. Participants: Izuna and me; Ryuto and you. If you agree, we meet in one month. If you lack the courage, the challenge is void."

Signed: Madara Uchiha.

After reading it, Ryuto looked up at Hashirama.

"See? I told you."

Hashirama said nothing. He stared at the words "Deathmatch" on the scroll for several seconds.

"The Grand Canyon to the east..." he said quietly.

"What's special about that place?" Ryuto asked.

"Madara and I used to go there all the time as kids," Hashirama said. "It's pretty remote. Cliffs on both sides, a big waterfall in the middle, and a deep pool below. We used to compete there to see who could throw stones farther."

"Now you'll be competing to see who hits harder," Ryuto said, then thought, That should be the future Valley of the End.

"Yeah." Hashirama rolled up the scroll. "His meaning is clear enough, choosing that place. It's where we began, and he wants to settle things there too."

"So will you accept?"

Hashirama did not answer immediately.

He walked to the tent entrance, lifted the flap, and watched the Senju clan members coming and going through the camp outside.

Young ninja practiced Taijutsu, women prepared food, and children chased one another around.

"Ryuto," Hashirama said, "do you think Madara's path can work?"

"Which path?"

"Using absolute power to subdue everyone and force peace upon them," Hashirama said. "Do you think that's possible?"

Ryuto thought for a moment.

"In the short term, possibly. An invincible person steps forward and says, 'Obey me or die.' Most people would definitely be scared and obey. But in the long term... it'd be hard."

"Why?"

"Because people aren't machines," Ryuto said. "You might suppress them with force today, but their hatred and resentment remain. The moment that person shows the slightest weakness, or someone appears who might be able to challenge him, everyone beneath him will erupt into chaos. Besides, 'peace' under that kind of pressure isn't real peace to begin with. It's tyranny."

Hashirama turned to look at him.

"What about my path, then? Alliances, rules, taking things slowly."

"Your path is slow, but it builds a solid foundation," Ryuto said. "People follow the rules willingly, not because they're forced to. Even if you're gone someday, or someone stronger appears, as long as those rules still let people get by, there will be people willing to uphold them. Of course, the condition is... you first need enough strength to make everyone willing to sit down and listen to your rules."

Hashirama smiled.

"So this battle is unavoidable."

"Unavoidable," Ryuto said. "If you want Madara to listen to reason, you first have to beat him into accepting you in the field he excels at most. At the very least, fight him to a draw."

Hashirama returned to the table, picked up a brush, and wrote a word on a blank slip of paper.

"Accepted."

He rolled up the slip, walked out of the tent, and tied it to the messenger hawk's leg.

The hawk flapped its wings and flew away.

Hashirama returned to the tent and looked at Ryuto.

"One month," he said. "Two against two, a Deathmatch. You and me on one team."

"All right." Ryuto nodded. "Then we'll have to train hard together this month."

"Right," Hashirama said. "Starting tomorrow, we'll find somewhere deserted for special training."

At the same time, in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Madara sat inside a stone house, watching the training ground outside the window.

Izuna pushed the door open and came in.

"Brother, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Madara tossed him the copy of the Senju's challenge. "Take a look."

Izuna caught it and quickly scanned it.

"A showdown between the strongest fighters?" Izuna frowned. "What is Hashirama trying to pull now?"

"He wants to end the war at the lowest possible cost," Madara said. "To replace all-out war with a contest between our strongest fighters. A good idea, but too naive."

"You agreed?"

"I did," Madara said. "But I changed the rules. Two against two, a Deathmatch. One month from now, at the Grand Canyon. You and me against Hashirama and Ryuto."

Izuna froze for a moment.

"Ryuto? That kid?"

"Yes," Madara said. "He's growing too fast. We can't let him live. This is the perfect chance to deal with him too."

Izuna fell silent for a few seconds.

"Brother, there's something I have to say." Izuna looked up. "As I am now, I might not be able to beat Ryuto."

Madara looked at him.

"Last time he was at the compound, he overpowered me with ease. I wasn't going all out, but clearly, neither was he. These past few months, he's been staying with the Senju. Hashirama must have been giving him pointers. I suspect... he's probably stronger than I am now."

Madara's face showed little expression.

"I know."

"You know?"

"I can tell," Madara said. "When he brought the challenge last time, his ki had grown much stronger again. At this rate, you really won't be a match for him in a month."

Izuna clenched his fists.

"Then you're still sending me in? Isn't that..."

"Sending you to your death?" Madara interrupted.

Izuna said nothing.

"That's why you must become stronger this month." Madara stood and walked over to Izuna. "One month is enough to transform you completely. I'll teach you everything I know, too. All you need to do is train like your life depends on it."

Izuna's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Madara said. "Starting tomorrow, you'll be at the training ground twenty-four hours a day. Apart from eating and sleeping, you'll spend every moment training. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, using the Sharingan... I'll push you to your limits."

"Right!" Izuna nodded firmly.

"But remember this." Madara stared at him. "This is a Deathmatch. No rules, no restrictions. You have only one objective: kill Ryuto. Or, at the very least, hold him off and give me a chance to finish Hashirama first."

"Understood."

"Go," Madara said. "Get a good rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, there won't be any time to rest."

Izuna turned and left, his steps full of vigor.

Madara sat back down, watching the sky gradually darken outside the window.

"One month..." he murmured. "Hashirama, Ryuto... let me see how well you can prepare."

Behind him, in the shadows in the corner of the room, an extremely faint disturbance silently subsided.

Black Zetsu had hidden himself in a crack in the wall, listening to their conversation.

Two against two, a Deathmatch... the canyon...

He calculated silently.

Madara's special training for Izuna would certainly improve Izuna's strength enormously. But that freak Ryuto's growth could not be judged by normal standards. In a month, the outcome would be hard to predict.

But that did not matter.

What mattered was that this showdown would inevitably intensify the conflict.

A Deathmatch meant someone was bound to be seriously injured, or even killed.

Whether Izuna died, Ryuto died, or Hashirama and Madara both suffered devastating injuries... it would stoke the hatred between the Senju and the Uchiha to new heights.

Then, all he would need to do was give things another little push...

This is how Indra and Asura's destiny should be. Black Zetsu laughed silently. An endless cycle of blood and hatred, growing ever stronger... until they're strong enough to use that jutsu.

He slowly sank into the ground and vanished.

At the Senju camp.

Ryuto and Hashirama sat at the edge of the training ground, watching the sunset.

"Do you know the canyon's terrain well?" Ryuto asked.

"I do," Hashirama said. "Cliffs on both sides, a waterfall in the middle, and a deep pool below. It isn't a large area, but the elevation changes are pronounced, and there's plenty of moisture in the air. That gives my Wood Release a slight boost, but it isn't very friendly to Madara's Fire Release. Still, since he chose it, he must have his reasons."

"Maybe nostalgia?" Ryuto said.

"Madara isn't sentimental." Hashirama shook his head. "There's only one reason he chose it: it's enclosed and remote enough that no one will interrupt, whether we fight to live or die. Besides, the cliffs and waterfall suit his sweeping, forceful fighting style. The Sharingan's perception can also come into play in complex terrain."

"So how do we respond?"

"We need to practice working together," Hashirama said. "Two against two isn't two separate one-on-one fights. Someone has to lead the attack, someone has to provide support, someone has to defend, and someone has to look for openings. We've never fought together like this before. We'll have to build our coordination from scratch."

"What are you good at?" Ryuto asked.

"I'm strong in head-on combat, and I can control a large area," Hashirama said. "Wood Release can control the battlefield, defend, and attack. But I need time to form hand seals, especially for large-scale jutsu."

"I'm fast and have high burst power, but I can't sustain a prolonged fight as well as you," Ryuto said. "My ki attacks are direct and don't require hand seals, but they take a lot out of me. I can't keep firing them."

Hashirama thought for a moment.

"Then let's do this. I'll handle battlefield control and defense to create openings for you. You'll use your speed to find weaknesses and strike. Madara and Izuna will definitely divide their roles too, with Madara leading the attack and Izuna supporting him or launching surprise attacks. What we need to do is disrupt their rhythm."

"How?"

"Force them apart," Hashirama said. "Madara and Izuna are brothers. Their coordination will definitely be better than ours. We can't let them work together. We need to find a way to separate them and turn it into two one-on-one fights. Or concentrate our attacks and take one of them out first."

"Take out Izuna first?" Ryuto asked.

"Yes," Hashirama said. "Madara is too strong. It would be hard to bring him down quickly. But Izuna is relatively weaker. If we can take him out fast, we'll have a much better chance fighting two against one. Of course, Madara will think of that too, and he'll make protecting Izuna a priority. So it won't be easy."

Ryuto nodded.

"Got it. Then this month, we'll focus on two things: first, our coordination. Second, how to quickly break through Madara's defense and kill Izuna."

"Right." Hashirama stood up. "Starting tomorrow, we'll leave camp and find somewhere like the Valley of the End to simulate a real battle. I'll use Wood Release to simulate Madara and Izuna's attacks, and you'll adapt and counterattack."

"All right."

They talked a while longer about the details of their training plan, until the sky had gone completely dark.