The Senju ninjas finally had a chance to get back at him. Saying they burst into wild laughter would not be an exaggeration.
The loudest one was Hashirama, whose face still showed traces of having been beaten. He sat on the ground, laughing so hard he shook.
Madara Uchiha could not keep his dignity any longer and used a Susanoo arm to slap Hashirama flat against the ground.
Outside, Izuna and Tobirama Senju could hardly stand the way their brothers' minds worked when they were young. The corners of their mouths twitched, and the embarrassment nearly killed them.
"Clack."
Tobirama Senju tossed the pebble in his hand to the young Madara Uchiha.
"You want to unify the ninja clans of the Land of Fire, yet you retreat after running into one small setback? That really isn't like you, Madara."
"!!"
The young Madara Uchiha caught the pebble and instinctively glanced at it.
It was the same pebble Hashirama had thrown, the one marked [Run!]
Their friendship. The convictions they shared.
They wanted to protect their only remaining younger brothers together, change this mistaken ninja world, and end this chaotic Warring States era where hatred gave birth to more hatred.
"You want to unify all the ninja clans of the Land of Fire?" Butsuma Senju said. "I don't know who you are, but for you to say something so arrogant, and to have protected that Uchiha brat over there…"
Inside Kamui's Dimension, Butsuma Senju's face was cold, but inwardly he was panicking like crazy.
"I've never seen a white-haired Uchiha before, but you're from the Uchiha Clan too, aren't you?! State your name!"
Tobirama Senju could have given his name at first, but after Butsuma Senju said that, he could no longer bring himself to do it.
Inside Kamui's Dimension, Hashirama Senju gave his father a resentful look. Butsuma Senju wished he could bury himself with an Earth Release technique, while the Senju Clan ninjas were so embarrassed they wanted to disappear.
Outside Kamui's Dimension, Tobirama Senju seethed inwardly. As expected of the father who could have an idiot like his elder brother as a descendant. For now, he could only glance at Izuna Uchiha, who was holding back laughter so hard he nearly injured himself, signaling him to rein it in.
"The world divides after long unity and unites after long division. It is nothing special." He looked at the young Madara Uchiha. "But if you want to unify the hundred clans of the Ninja World, then beyond overwhelming strength, what matters more is reflecting on yourself again and again, seeing the true road beneath your feet clearly, and not curling up like a hedgehog the moment you suffer a setback, leaving yourself open to being used by others."
The young Madara Uchiha was instantly awakened by those words!
Over there, Izuna, who had heard Tobirama Senju call his brother a hedgehog, was not pleased. "Who are you calling a hedgehog?!"
"You don't like hedgehog? Then I'll change it." Tobirama Senju did not even lift his eyelids. "Porcupine works just as well."
Madara Uchiha in Kamui's Dimension: "…" He wanted to lose his temper, but he had no reason to.
In a certain parallel world's Warring States Period.
Izuna angrily flung the pebble in his hand at the mushroom-haired boy behind him.
"Listen! I hate you, but that Konoha village is still acceptable. Barely. One of the First Hokage or Second Hokage must be from the Uchiha Clan! That's all."
Minato Namikaze saw that the timing was about right and had Young Obito bring the two of them back into Kamui's Dimension.
From the perspective of the six people outside, the two had suddenly appeared and saved the young Tobirama and young Izuna with movements none of them could see. With that kind of speed, killing the two clan leaders would not have been impossible.
And the way they suddenly vanished was just as baffling.
"Let's end it here for today."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
Butsuma Senju left with the Hashirama and Tobirama brothers, while Tajima Uchiha left with the Madara and Izuna brothers.
It seemed as though nothing had changed.
But this time, the two pebbles that symbolized friendship, trust, and conviction did not fall into the riverbed. Instead, the young Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju quietly slipped them back into their pockets.
Izuna Uchiha and Tobirama Senju, who had returned, certainly could not have imagined how great an impact they had made on Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in that parallel world.
Neither Madara Uchiha nor Hashirama Senju ever let go of the faith in their hearts for even a moment.
Unify the Land of Fire. Establish Konohagakure.
And see those two people again, the ones who had once helped them protect their dream.
Until…
The younger brothers they wanted to protect gradually grew up, each becoming the very image of the two people in their memories.
Not long after Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha returned to Kamui's Dimension, the parallel world outside had already advanced by more than a decade, reaching the point in time that Madara Uchiha could never let go of.
The Clan Head of the Senju Clan had changed from Butsuma Senju to Hashirama Senju.
The Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan had changed from Tajima Uchiha to Madara Uchiha.
Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha stood beside them respectively, becoming the second-in-command of their clans.
Minato Namikaze said, "This isn't the future of the previous world. We've returned to a key point in the main timeline."
Watching the war between the two clans continue for more than a decade, the Senju and Uchiha ninjas felt neither joy nor sorrow. Only boredom. It was no different from the wars they had seen as children, or the wars they had experienced themselves.
Just as Butsuma Senju had once told his eldest son, Hashirama.
They fought with all they had, trying to kill every enemy, but in the end, their goal was nothing more than the honor of their clan and the hope that their descendants could live stable lives, far from the suffering of war.
Tajima Uchiha said, "Hmph. Even that foolish son of yours grew up into quite an outstanding adult."
"Same to you. That son of yours, the one so easily used by others, has lived to this age without getting the Clan swindled out from under him. Your second son has worked hard enough too," Butsuma Senju said.
Madara Uchiha: "…"
His heart.
Hashirama Senju: "…"
It hurt so much.
Since the two of them were not from the same generation, they could not exactly say anything. They could only sigh honestly and pretend they had heard nothing.
Looking at the situation outside Kamui's Dimension, Tobirama Senju reminded the two of them, "If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the first time I used the Flying Thunder God Technique in battle against the Uchiha."
Izuna Uchiha froze. That moment was also when he had been careless and underestimated his enemy, ultimately being seriously injured by Tobirama.
And in Madara Uchiha's eyes, that was the beginning of losing Izuna.
Seeing that Izuna and Tobirama had both gone out of this space earlier, Madara Uchiha also prepared to have Young Obito from the Kannabi Bridge world let him out.
"Where is Obito Uchiha?"
"They're all at the Konoha Ninja Academy. My shadow clone has already informed him to let you out shortly."
Minato Namikaze's words made Madara Uchiha nod. He quietly waited for that moment outside Kamui's Dimension.
Outside, the two clans were locked in battle.
The sound of sharp weapons slicing through flesh and organs rang out alongside screams that came from both the Senju and the Uchiha.
While fighting Tobirama Senju, Izuna suddenly activated his Sharingan!
Afraid of the Sharingan's Genjutsu, Tobirama Senju immediately shut his eyes tight.
Izuna seized the chance and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying more than ten meters until he slammed into a rock behind him and finally stopped.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Tobirama Senju, looking somewhat battered, quickly formed hand seals and used a ninjutsu that countered Fire Release.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Under the cover of a large amount of steam, Tobirama Senju threw out a kunai.
"Hmph. A mindless attack? Blame yourself for not having the Sharingan."
Everything proceeded as usual, exactly like the memories of the four founders in Kamui's Dimension.
But it had already reached this point!
Obito still had not opened Kamui's Dimension to let Madara Uchiha out!
Madara wanted to question Minato Namikaze about what this meant, but it was already too late.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!!"
When the steam dispersed, Tobirama Senju was holding a long blade that had pierced through Izuna Uchiha's body.
"Izuna!"
Madara Uchiha, who had been fighting Hashirama Senju, leaped into the area where the younger brothers were battling.
However…
In reality, Tobirama Senju had stabbed nothing at all?!
Young Obito had made a small move, pressing his hand against the back of this parallel world's Izuna Uchiha and pulling his body into Kamui's Dimension, leaving only a false image outside.
Izuna Uchiha himself was baffled. He had clearly seen Tobirama Senju's blade stab toward him! How could he not feel any pain at all?!
Madara Uchiha in Kamui's Dimension: "!!!!"
"This ability is… that brat Obito!"
In the parallel world outside, as Madara Uchiha jumped onto the battlefield between Izuna and Tobirama, Hashirama Senju quickly leaped over as well and shielded Tobirama behind him.
"Madara! What happened?!"
"I don't know." He checked the body of his only remaining younger brother with his eyes. Aside from some earlier signs of a rough battle, there were no serious injuries on him.
Izuna Uchiha touched the side of his waist. "I'm not… injured…?"
When Madara Uchiha tried to support Izuna and take the chance to see what was going on, his hand actually passed straight through Izuna Uchiha's body?!
It was as if the Izuna Uchiha before him had become a false ghost.
Madara Uchiha was terrified.
He raised his weapon and pointed it at Tobirama Senju behind Hashirama. "What did you do to my brother?!"
"Madara, Tobirama shouldn't have anything to do with this."
Tobirama agreed, "Exactly. Isn't this some scheme of yours?"
With something unexpected happening on the main battlefield, the Senju and Uchiha ninjas also stopped fighting of their own accord and stood behind their respective Clan Heads.
Izuna felt something very strange about his body. He tried to pick up a kunai that had fallen to the ground, and without question, his hand passed right through it.
"Izuna!"
Madara Uchiha panicked and asked Hashirama Senju again what exactly his brother had done to his own brother.
Tobirama Senju could tell now too. This really did not seem to be a scheme by the Uchiha Clan. At the very least, Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha were not good enough actors to make it look this real.
The Senju brothers exchanged a glance.
Hashirama dropped his weapon and walked up to Izuna Uchiha. "Let me try. If it's my Medical Ninjutsu, maybe…"
He reached out, wanting to touch Izuna Uchiha.
As expected, he also touched nothing.
There was no maybe. Just like Madara Uchiha, he could not touch Izuna Uchiha either.
It was as if Izuna had suddenly turned into a ghost in full view of everyone.
Madara was so anxious he lost his composure, insisting that this had to be Tobirama Senju's fault.
Tobirama said, "Calm down! The problem is with Izuna Uchiha himself! It has nothing to do with me! If he hadn't turned into this state just now, that one strike would have seriously injured him!"
Madara Uchiha let out a breath. That was indeed true.
Hashirama Senju said, "Madara, someone must have saved Izuna through Tobirama's attack."
"!!!"
But who could it be…
Just then…
The empty space suddenly twisted.
Near them, a spiral current swept out a completely pale figure.
***
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