"Hah—"
The two young boys, locked in close combat, let out a breath almost in unison. Seeing the fight stalled, they tacitly pulled back at the same time.
Landing on his side's front line, Madara's expression darkened as he shot a warning glare at the others."I'll never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my little brother."
"Me neither!"
Hashirama, standing tall at the head of the Senju side, echoed him with equal seriousness.
Madara's gaze softened slightly, though his eyes soon reflected a harsh resolve as he called out to his counterpart."Hashirama…"
"What is it?"
Hearing that cold tone, Hashirama's heart skipped a beat.
"All those stupid dreams about a beautiful future… in the end…"
Why does this sound like a breakup scene? Gin thought, nearly reaching for popcorn as he watched the boys' tender yet heart-wrenching drama unfold.
"…Maybe they'll never come true."
With those words, Madara seemed to expend all his strength. His head dropped, and his expression shifted from conflicted to frigid.
"Madara, you…"
Feeling that unfamiliar coldness, Hashirama looked at his former friend in shock, but couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
Madara, having resolved to sever their bond, raised his head, his face impassive as he said quietly,"Even though it was short… I was happy, Hashirama."
…Huh? Aren't Senju supposed to be known for their stamina and endurance?
As the two boys exchanged their bittersweet farewell, the adults on either side were already calculating their next moves.
The other side has four… it'll be hard for us to win three on four, Butsuma thought grimly.
Behind him, Tajima finally broke the silence."Well, Madara? Can you handle him?"
The plan was clear — Tajima would pin down Butsuma, Izuna would deal with the white-haired kid. If Madara could defeat the watermelon-headed Senju boy, it would force Butsuma to split his attention, tipping the scales.
"…No. Hashirama's stronger than me."
Sensing his father's unspoken intent, Madara admitted it quietly, still unable to completely let go inside."If we go head-to-head, we'll lose."
Hey, what about me? Aren't we the ones with the numbers here? Three on four?
Gin almost wanted to raise his hand to remind them he was still here — with his strength, he could absolutely mop the floor with all four Senju brats if he didn't even use Amaterasu.
"A boy stronger than big brother?"
Izuna's eyes widened in disbelief. In his heart, no one could possibly be stronger than his brother among their peers.
"So there really is such a kid," Tajima muttered, hearing the lack of fighting spirit in his eldest son's voice.
"Aw, come on, uncle. If you and I go at him together, we might even be able to keep that old man here," Gin whispered as he sidled up, clearly eager to stop being a background prop and finally shine.
He got nothing but a massive eyeroll from Tajima."You don't understand a clan head's power, Gin. Butsuma and I are evenly matched — taking your life would be easy."
"…I have my eyes now, you know," Gin grumbled under his breath.
"That's exactly why you shouldn't. Your body can't take it yet," Tajima explained tersely.
Can't take it? I'm built like an ox now, you know? Gin thought with a sigh. The original host's body had been weak, but he'd worked hard to improve it — if he stood out too much now, though, he'd only attract suspicion. Fine, fine, he could lie flat and let them think he was weak.
"Withdraw!"
Tajima, unwilling to gamble without knowing if the enemy had reinforcements, gave the order to retreat.
"…Got it," Madara muttered, throwing a glance at Hashirama before turning away.
"Madara! You haven't really given up yet, have you?!"
Hashirama stepped forward, unable to bear seeing his beloved walk away like this."You finally found someone who shares your dream…"
"You're a Senju," Madara said quietly, still facing away."If possible, I wish we didn't have the same dream. But our clans have been enemies for generations — your siblings have died by Uchiha hands, and my family by Senju. So… there's no need for us to trust each other anymore. From now on, we'll meet on the battlefield."
"…Senju Hashirama."
Madara's words cut like knives, severing the bond they'd built.
"…I am… Uchiha… Madara."
For the first time, he put the clan name in front, as if to emphasize the abyss that now lay between them.
At those words, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Dark energy surged through his brain and into his eyes — when he lifted his gaze again, his once-black eyes glowed red.
"Father, look! Brother's eyes!"
Izuna was the first to notice, pointing excitedly.
"Hmph. We may not have gotten Senju intelligence, but we've gained something even better," Tajima said with satisfaction, watching Madara walk back toward them, his Sharingan gleaming.
"Sharingan? Did he awaken it just now?"
Butsuma narrowed his eyes at the sight, feeling a faint sense of dread. Such a genius had to be snuffed out early.
Without a word, he exchanged a glance with Tobirama — father and son quietly drew their weapons behind their backs.
"Come on, Gin, let's get out of here," Tajima said warmly, giving Gin's shoulder a pat.
…Wait, something's not right. Why's the Heart of Steel chest still active? Aren't they all backing off?
Gin's eyes narrowed as he noticed the system still reading him as "in combat."
"Coming," he said aloud, scratching his head as he followed.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. Somehow — without even turning around — he clearly saw Butsuma and Tobirama, pretending to retreat but now surging forward, blades drawn, targeting the last two boys in the Uchiha line.
"Not good!"
There was no time to question why he could suddenly see behind him. With monstrous strength, Gin slammed his foot down and launched himself backward like a cannonball.
"Duck!"
Madara was still slightly weakened from awakening his eyes, and Izuna was half-supporting him as they trailed behind. Neither had sensed the looming danger.
When they heard their big cousin's urgent shout, they instinctively ducked their heads.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A flurry of kunai sliced through the air, barely grazing the tops of their heads and splashing into the water.
The two boys broke out in a cold sweat on the spot.
(End of Chapter)
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