That year, the Uchiha clan stood on the edge of an abyss.
The world was shifting, old grudges stirring beneath the fragile peace of the newly founded village of Konohagakure.
And yet—at that crucial moment—one man dared to rise.
Uchiha Makoto stood before the clan assembly, his gaze firm, his voice resolute.
"Ever since the founding of Konoha, the Uchiha and Senju have been bound together in an uneasy alliance. Mark my words—this bond will not bring prosperity. Sooner or later, it will drag the Uchiha into ruin."
Murmurs spread through the crowd of clansmen. Some lowered their eyes, unsettled by his words. Others clenched their fists in silent agreement. But one voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"Enough!"
Uchiha Madara, head of the clan and the man once feared as the strongest Uchiha in history, glared at him with eyes that burned like fire. His long, black hair swayed as his chakra surged faintly around him.
"Makoto," Madara growled, "you forget your place. I am the head of this clan. The one who decides its path is me—not you."
His gaze shifted toward the horizon where Senju Hashirama, his sworn brother and rival, was likely working on the foundations of the village even now.
"Hashirama is a man of honor. He will not betray me."
Makoto's lips curved into a bitter smile.
"Madara, blinded by trust, you will regret this sooner than you think. You place your faith in Senju Hashirama, but what of his brother? What of Senju Tobirama? You may not see it, but I do. Their paths are not ours. They never will be."
Madara's eyes flashed with the crimson glow of the Sharingan.
"Silence, Makoto!" he roared. "Your doubt insults not only me, but the dream Hashirama and I are building. Do not speak another word!"
Makoto did not flinch. He met Madara's gaze head-on, his own eyes sharp and unyielding.
"You are the clan head, yes. But power and titles do not change truth. Remember this, Madara: peace built on fragile trust will collapse, and when it does, you will bear the blame for the Uchiha's suffering."
---
Years Later…
Time proved Makoto's words true.
The dream of coexistence had shattered, and Madara—once hailed as the Uchiha's great hope—had abandoned the village.
The valley trembled as thunderous chakra surged. After his battle with Hashirama Senju at the Valley of the End, Madara, battered but alive, sought out Makoto.
"Makoto!" he called, his voice hoarse with rage and regret. His armor was cracked, and his cloak was stained with dust and blood. His eyes, once proud, now glowed with a dangerous madness.
"I was wrong!"
Makoto, who had long since distanced himself from Madara's path, regarded him coolly.
"You return in shame, and now you speak of regret?"
Madara's fists clenched. His Sharingan spun violently.
"There are villains among the Senju! Hashirama may be blind to it, but his brother Tobirama—he is evil to the core! That man despises us. He will never accept the Uchiha. Why did I not see it sooner?"
His voice cracked, raw with frustration.
"If I had become the Second Hokage… if the clan had stood with me instead of Hashirama, things would be different! But they abandoned me. My own kin chose him over me!"
Makoto's gaze sharpened like a blade.
"Enough, Madara. You call Tobirama evil, but what of yourself? You blame others for your failure, yet never once look inward. If you were not chosen as Hokage, perhaps you should reflect on your own flaws, rather than point your finger at others."
The words struck harder than any kunai. Madara's Sharingan widened, his breath quickening with fury.
"You dare lecture me? Me, Uchiha Madara?"
His voice rose, echoing through the empty air.
"Why must I bear the blame? Why must I look inward when it was Hashirama who betrayed our bond? When it was Tobirama who poisoned the Senju against us?!"
He trembled, his fury boiling over into madness.
"You say 'look for your own problems'? Fine! Should I blame myself for having less chakra than Hashirama? For fighting with all my strength, only to be treated as expendable? For seeing my clansmen die, one after another, while he speaks of peace?"
Madara's breath came ragged now, his rage spilling into despair.
"What did I gain from making peace? From clasping Hashirama's hand? From forcing the Uchiha to bow their heads? Nothing but betrayal and loss!"
His eyes burned scarlet, the tomoe within twisting into a cruel new form. The Mangekyō Sharingan stared at Makoto with an intensity that could pierce the soul.
"You speak of responsibility, of reflection, of blame. Then answer me, Makoto—what was I supposed to do?!"
His voice cracked into a roar, his desperation laid bare.
"Tell me! Answer me! Look into my eyes and tell me!"
---
Makoto did not move. He stood firm against Madara's storm of hatred and despair, his expression as cold as stone.
"Madara," he said at last, his voice calm but cutting, "all of this—your anger, your regret, your sorrow—comes not from Hashirama, not from Tobirama, not from the Senju. It comes from within you. You refused to face your own weakness, so you lashed out at others. That is why you stand here, broken and alone."
For a long moment, silence hung between them, heavy as a sword suspended in the air.
Madara trembled, unable to accept the words, yet unable to refute them. His fists shook, his teeth clenched, his eyes wide with madness.
At last, his fury erupted in a howl.
"Enough! If the world will not bend to me, then I will remake it myself! Hashirama's dream is a lie, and your so-called wisdom is nothing but chains! I will create a new world—one where no one will ever betray me again!"
With that, he turned, his chakra flaring like a storm as he vanished into the shadows, leaving only the echo of his rage behind.
---
Aftermath
Makoto stood alone beneath the quiet sky. His robes fluttered in the wind, his eyes narrowing as he watched the fading trail of Madara's chakra.
"Madara," he whispered, "you were once the hope of our clan. But in the end, you chose hatred over truth. And for that… you will lead us all into darkness."
His words lingered in the air, a quiet lament for what had been lost.
The Uchiha's fall had only just begun.
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