"Madara, what's wrong?"
Uchiha Madara ignored Senju Hashirama's call and walked straight to the table, his gaze fixed on the blade lying atop it — [Immaculate].
This sword...
Madara's hand hovered in midair, uncharacteristically hesitating for a moment before finally grasping the hilt.
The familiar feel beneath his palm made his pupils contract slightly. As the blade slowly slid from its sheath, a cold glint like flowing water spilled forth, illuminating the sharp contours of his face.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
Madara's breath hitched.
Suddenly, a young, clear voice echoed in his ears: "Brother, this sword is amazing! It's way sharper than the ones issued by the clan!"
"Izuna…"
In his mind, Izuna's excited smile overlapped with the glint of the blade. Back then, they were still in the Uchiha compound, before the war had taken everything away.
Madara remembered that he had secretly completed three S-rank missions without telling his father, using the reward money to have this sword forged as a gift for Izuna.
Because his younger brother constantly complained that the clan-issued weapons didn't suit him, Madara had this exceptionally sharp katana made especially for him.
He still remembered vividly the look on Izuna's face when he first held it.
"The day Izuna got this sword," Uchiha Madara suddenly spoke, his voice low and distant, "he trained with it on the practice grounds until late into the night, refusing to rest."
He reached out and gently caressed the blade, his eyes filled with deep nostalgia, as though he were stroking Izuna's face instead.
Back then, when Izuna had been gravely wounded by Tobirama's sneak attack using the Flying Thunder God, Madara had hurriedly taken him back to the clan compound for treatment — leaving the blade behind on the battlefield.
Later, he returned to search for it but never found a trace.
He never expected it would end up in Senju Tobirama's hands.
A flicker of anger flashed in Madara's eyes.
If it hadn't been for Tobirama, Izuna would never have died!
The thought of Izuna's death only strengthened his resolve to carry out the "Eye of the Moon" plan.
Only when true peace was achieved in the shinobi world would tragedies like that never happen again.
No matter what, the "Eye of the Moon" plan had to succeed. It was the only way to achieve lasting peace.
"Madara, be careful," Hashirama couldn't help but remind him softly. "The blade's coated in poison."
Although he didn't want to spoil the moment, he had to say something for Madara's safety.
If he remembered correctly, Renya was known by another nickname — the "Deadly Poison Master."
The toxins he created back then were already extremely potent, and two years had passed since. The effects were bound to be even stronger now.
If Madara accidentally nicked himself, the consequences could be fatal.
Hashirama couldn't bear the thought of finally finding his old friend, only to watch him die from poisoning right in front of him…
Madara's lips twitched slightly, and his hand stroking the blade abruptly stopped.
He hadn't expected Tobirama to stoop so low as to coat the sword with poison.
But, thinking about it, this kind of underhanded tactic suited Tobirama's cunning nature perfectly.
...
Madara tightened his grip on the hilt and, with a smooth motion, spun the blade gracefully, the movement fluid and natural.
"Izuna used to pester me endlessly to teach him kenjutsu." Uchiha Madara slid the blade back into its sheath, the corners of his mouth curling into something resembling a gentle smile. "He was so small back then, his height didn't even match the length of this katana."
A crisp "click" sounded as the blade locked into place.
Madara held the katana horizontally across his palm, his other hand lightly brushing the scabbard, as if soothing the forehead of someone asleep.
Every time he looked at this sword, he couldn't help but think of Izuna.
If Izuna hadn't died back then, someone would have been there to leave the clan with him.
He wouldn't have been alone. At the very least, Izuna would have followed him.
But there are no "ifs" in life…
A faint trace of sorrow flickered in Madara's eyes.
Hashirama stood frozen, watching the scene. It had been so long since he'd seen this side of Madara — this quiet, almost tender side.
Ever since Izuna's death at Tobirama's hands, Madara's expression had been perpetually cold and hard. He hadn't smiled since.
Hashirama truly regretted not stopping Tobirama back then.
But the past couldn't be undone, no matter how much he wished it could.
All Hashirama could do now was stay by Madara's side and hope, somehow, to guide him away from the "Eye of the Moon" and its extreme ideals.
Uchiha Madara stared at the katana for a long time, as though lost in memories of Izuna.
After a moment, he held the blade close to his chest, then carefully placed it back on the table.
At that moment, he wasn't the fearsome "Shura of the Shinobi World," the terror of countless battlefields — just an ordinary elder brother longing for his little brother.
"Madara…" Hashirama called softly.
As a fellow elder brother, he understood Madara's feelings perfectly.
His own brothers had also fallen in the wars.
Madara turned, the sunlight catching his face, glinting briefly at the corner of his eye before vanishing as he faced Hashirama once more. His expression had returned to its usual cold arrogance.
"Hashirama, you cannot stop my dream."
"Only I — Uchiha Madara! — can bring true peace to the shinobi world!"
"Madara…" Hashirama's gaze was complicated. The words he wanted to say caught in his throat.
He knew Izuna's death was what solidified his friend's unwavering resolve.
If Izuna had survived, perhaps Madara wouldn't have walked this extreme path.
"I understand… Madara."
After a long silence, Hashirama sighed.
He knew he wouldn't be able to change Madara's mind anytime soon.
For now, all he could do was bide his time and slowly try to guide him away from this.
"Hashirama, I will make you witness that day with your own eyes!" Uchiha Madara declared, his voice brimming with determination.
"Only the 'Eye of the Moon' plan can bring about true peace!"
...
In the kitchen, Renya was chopping vegetables when he nearly sliced his finger at Madara's words.
Good grief… were they seriously talking about this here?
He was right here, you know!
Couldn't they at least try not to discuss such earth-shattering plans in front of him?
If it weren't for Senju Hashirama's presence, he'd honestly be worried that Uchiha Madara might silence him to keep things secret.
To avoid drawing Madara's attention and reminding him there was someone else nearby, Renya did his best to suppress his presence completely — even softening the sound of his knife striking the cutting board.
He couldn't help but wonder, though: when Madara eventually learned that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was actually just Black Zetsu's plot to resurrect his mother, how would he react?
Renya wanted to tell him the truth, but without solid proof, there was no way Madara would believe him.
Take the Uchiha clan's stone tablet, for example — only those with the Mangekyō Sharingan could read its hidden contents.
Right now, Renya only had a three-tomoe Sharingan. He couldn't see the secrets carved into it at all.
And if he just blurted out that the tablet had been tampered with, why would Madara ever believe him?
From the short time they'd spent together, Renya had already realized something crucial: even if he somehow awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara wouldn't easily change his mind.
Once Madara decided on something, he would pursue it relentlessly.
Even if Madara discovered the tablet's contents had been altered, he'd still push forward — clinging to the "Eye of the Moon" plan as his only hope.
Unless someone like Senju Hashirama could utterly defeat him and force him to reconsider, Madara would never give up on his plan.
But now, Uncle Hashirama's health was in terrible shape. He didn't have the strength to stop Madara anymore.
That was precisely why Madara allowed Hashirama to stay by his side in the first place…
For now, all Renya could do was take things one step at a time.
After all, there was still a long way to go before Uchiha Madara would awaken the Rinnegan.
If Renya remembered correctly, Madara wouldn't awaken it until he was well into his late seventies or eighties.
By that time, Madara would be so frail he'd probably wobble just walking — there was no way he could possibly complete the "Eye of the Moon" plan himself.
That was why he had to manipulate Uchiha Obito into becoming his pawn for resurrection.