"Naruto: My Ninja Skills"Chapter 172: The End of the Road
"Madara, this is your last chance... and the Uchiha's last chance as well."
After concluding his exchange with Yūshin and returning to the battlefield for another two weeks, Hashirama Senju once again encountered Madara Uchiha.
This time, Madara had resurfaced after licking his wounds.
Honestly, Madara's stubborn persistence was basically all Hashirama's fault. Hashirama had always been cutting away with a small knife—winning every time but never making Madara hurt enough. This gave Madara the illusion that he could still contend with him.
If Hashirama had simply unleashed his ultimate technique from the start and slammed Madara down with one strike, perhaps things would have been much simpler.
Madara actually had his own grievances: You win by just a little each time, and it always seems like if I just try a bit harder, I can win it back—isn't this encouraging my perseverance?
Madara was like a donkey chasing a dangling carrot, always pursuing a goal that seemed within reach but was actually forever unattainable.
"Hashirama, the me now is no longer the me from before. You should regret simply letting me escape the battlefield last time."
Madara Uchiha was naturally still unconvinced. Though he'd exhausted all his methods last time, he believed Hashirama's strength had also reached its limits... Simply put, Madara felt his slight inferiority last time wasn't due to problems with his techniques, but with the sequence of his technique combinations.
He shouldn't have played his weaker cards first, then his trump card—he should have thrown out his ace from the beginning.
Skip the meaningless probing, directly unleash his strongest chakra form, eliminate the intermediate tug-of-war space—when battle begins, that's when to give everything... How could he compete with Hashirama in sustained combat ability? He should compete in instantaneous explosive power instead.
Madara's thinking was quite optimistic, yet regardless of the comparison method, at the current stage he would be thoroughly suppressed by Hashirama.
Hashirama shook his head, feeling Madara was beyond salvation. After his exchange with Yūshin, now conscious of bearing so many people's expectations, he had developed the resolve to strike with lethal intent... It was time to end this farce.
Originally, having cast aside personal emotions and returned to an impartial stance, Hashirama should have brought out the true "Gundam" and directly slammed it onto Madara's forehead after gaining such mental resolve. However, Tobirama had previously formulated corresponding battle strategies for this fight, requiring Hashirama to exercise restraint.
Great—now Hashirama needed objective power limitations rather than subjective ones.
After Tobirama learned of his elder brother's psychological transformation, he was naturally overjoyed. Precisely because of this, he demanded that when his brother encountered Madara Uchiha, he should adopt a slow, steady approach... One could only say there were definitely people in this world who could deal with Madara Uchiha more sincerely than Yūshin—even to the point of psychological destruction.
Hashirama Senju brought his palms together, and with slight trembling, his entire body slowly rose into the air. In an instant, a dark green wooden humanoid appeared beneath his feet, while simultaneously, a massive wooden dragon coiled around the wooden figure like a vine.
"Madara, I didn't expect you'd also become someone who enjoys verbal sparring. Words are useless—let me see what progress your Susanoo has made since last time."
"Hashirama!"
Massive amounts of chakra overflowed from Madara Uchiha's body. After Susanoo manifested, it appeared somewhat larger than before... Hashirama had inquired about Madara's Susanoo's progress compared to before? The answer was no real progress, so Madara simply inflated Susanoo's size.
Like inflating boastful claims.
Just as both sides engaged in fierce battle once more, elsewhere, near the Uchiha village—
A grand army composed of Senju, Hyūga, Sarutobi, Uzumaki, Fireflies ninja, plus later-joining clans like Shimura, Aburame, Mitokado, Kurama, and others, had already seized the opportunity to complete their encirclement of the Uchiha village.
The most combat-capable and determined Uchiha ninja were currently following Madara Uchiha in external campaigns. The remaining Uchiha ninja had lost their former will, confidence, and ability.
In less than a year, the once high-spirited Uchiha had become like homeless dogs.
The multi-clan coalition was under Tobirama Senju's control. Cunning as he was, even he had to consider the bigger picture and broader perspective at this moment... In other words, times had changed. With Konoha's imminent establishment, Tobirama couldn't easily issue orders for clan extermination.
Look at his subordinate forces—aside from the "original stakeholders," which of the other allies hadn't been antagonistic toward the Senju to some degree?
If he revealed intentions to directly annihilate the Uchiha without discussion, would these ninja clans experience the sorrow of "when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves"? Would such sentiments breed more unpredictable behaviors?
Human hearts cannot be tested—one couldn't destroy the current excellent situation because of a single Uchiha clan.
Therefore, Tobirama Senju had to employ diplomacy before force. If the Uchiha proved obstinate, that would be another matter entirely—then everyone could happily and guiltlessly draw their blades.
After completing the Uchiha encirclement, Tobirama Senju temporarily did nothing. He understood some psychological warfare, at least grasping the concept of layered pressure application.
After maintaining "immobility like a mountain" for over half an hour, Tobirama finally appeared at the front lines, calling out to the Uchiha village:
"Uchiha, please listen carefully to what I'm about to say. This is very important for you."
"I'm giving you only two hours. Within these two hours, if you surrender, this surrender can be viewed as submission and reformation. The Uchiha will be permitted to join the Land of Fire ninja alliance as a complete entity."
"Your rights and responsibilities will match those of other alliance clans. As long as you don't engage in absurd rebellion, you'll receive equal acceptance."
"I swear upon the Senju name, witnessed by all present ninja clans, that my promise is absolutely genuine."
"But if you remain stubbornly unrepentant, the Uchiha will inevitably face purging... After today, the Land of Fire will no longer harbor Uchiha outside the alliance."
"Madara Uchiha has already been defeated once. Only through Lord Hashirama's mercy could he survive. Now Madara recklessly challenges us again—will the result be any different?"
"Everyone, two hours—please consider carefully."
Tobirama Senju's oath definitely wasn't meant to deceive the Uchiha. Though he didn't specify the consequences of oath-breaking, his words actually staked the alliance's credibility and cohesion... Casual reversals would easily turn the nascent alliance into scattered sand.
If Yūshin were here, he could certainly see through Tobirama Senju's tactics... Tobirama was using the Uchiha as "Yong Chi," though Tobirama had no idea what Yong Chi meant.
For other ninja clans joining the Senju alliance, especially later joiners, witnessing even the Uchiha—who had blood feuds with the Senju—receive such treatment, what did they have to worry about?
Even if they'd previously had minor friction with the Senju, they needn't fear future retribution. Those thoughts of being forced to join the alliance would also be diluted.
For Tobirama, the current Uchiha handling method was already quite sophisticated—at least he wasn't swayed by personal preferences.
After delivering his speech, Tobirama waved his hand. Nearly a hundred Uchiha ninja who had previously joined the alliance stepped forward, nodded to Tobirama, then returned to the Uchiha village.
Honestly, the last sentence in Tobirama's speech was the crucial point. Uchiha ninja had long discovered that Madara wasn't some invincible ninja... The invincible ninja was Madara's enemy.
Because Madara was excessively stubborn yet lacked the strength to support such stubbornness, the Uchiha had essentially lost confidence in him.
Evidence one: those surrendered ninja returned to the Uchiha village without obstruction.
Evidence two: despite such major events occurring here, no one in the village proactively transmitted intelligence in time.
By now, the Uchiha's spirit had long been shattered. Those remaining in this village were merely ordinary ninja forced into desperate straits.
No one could have excessive expectations of ordinary ninja. When triumphant, they'd say "curse your fate of lacking the Sharingan"; when dejected, they'd believe "the clan head doesn't act like a clan head, ninja don't act like ninja—the Uchiha should have perished long ago."
Madara Uchiha was too spirited, appearing brainless; Uchiha ninja were too spiritless, seemingly resigned to defeat. They were destined for division.
Unable to form their own alliance or join others, aside from the path Tobirama indicated, what else could they do?
An hour later, Uchiha ninja poured from the village in surrender.
The leading ninja deeply bowed to Tobirama, presenting their clan's fan symbol with both hands to the Senju.
Tobirama maintained silence—he was waiting for an assassination attempt against himself.
However, no assassination occurred. The Uchiha had been stripped bare—where would they find the spirit to plot assassinations?
Tobirama had no choice but to accept the fan, then return it to the other party.
"Those who recognize the times are truly wise."
At this moment, Tobirama felt both relief and regret.
The regret needed no explanation. A year ago, he wouldn't have believed he'd proactively leave the Uchiha a path to survival. Shouldn't this ninja clan have been eliminated like the Hagoromo Clan... Tobirama couldn't deceive himself—even now, he found this regrettable.
The relief came because the Uchiha hadn't chosen mutual destruction, meaning the Senju coalition needn't storm this village or incur meaningless casualties.
This showed that even conspirators weren't without growth—at least the current Tobirama Senju had developed some sense of the bigger picture, no longer as narrow-minded as before.
Tobirama Senju recalled the decision Yūshin had made, involuntarily sighing inwardly... Sigh, have I also been infected?
Tobirama shook off these useless thoughts. He maintained surface respect for the Uchiha, but since they'd surrendered, he immediately demanded all ninja here relocate entirely, without a moment's delay.
Since they were seizing the stronghold, they should do it thoroughly.
What could the Uchiha say? In summary: unwilling, but must comply.
...
Just as Hashirama Senju restrained Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju led the Senju coalition to break the Uchiha Clan, what about Yūshin? What was Yūshin doing?
Yūshin, wearing work pants on his lower half and an old man's undershirt above, was carrying a wooden beam onto a timber-frame building's roof.
Don't laugh—he was actually quite happy.
On the after-work construction site, Chisui was simmering a pot of unknown soup, ladling bowls for anyone who was thirsty.
After Yūshin corrected the Fireflies ninja's thinking, they worked even more diligently. Building houses for themselves naturally required quality assurance and full enthusiasm.
In the future, Fireflies organization ninja would still adopt mixed-clan residential patterns—you within me, me within you, physically maintaining a unified appearance. As for how other ninja clans would arrange themselves, that wasn't Yūshin's concern.
However, without thinking, those ninja clans unable to abandon their "long historical heritage" would definitely establish quarters within the village—on one hand integrating into the village, on the other maintaining their private lives behind closed doors.
This was also good—Yūshin's group could distance themselves from those people, avoiding infection by stone-headed thinking.
Yūshin had just positioned this wooden beam correctly when he heard a cool voice nearby:
"I wonder how the Uchiha are doing now."
Lan sat quietly on a crossbeam. Though she'd lost her sight, her directional sense remained accurate. Speaking these words, she faced directly toward the Uchiha Clan village's location.
"Aren't they still fighting? Your sensing ability far exceeds mine," Yūshin said somewhat indifferently.
He sensed those intense chakra fluctuations from that day again. Since he could sense them, Lan naturally could too—otherwise she wouldn't have climbed so high.
Just from Yūshin building houses without using Multiple Earth-Style Wall Technique but instead engaging in methodical construction work, you could tell his current mindset was quite relaxed, completely unconcerned with the ongoing war.
"No, I mean today they launched attacks on the Uchiha village... Lord Yūshin is more suited than Tobirama Senju to lead the coalition army. This matter should be your responsibility."
Though Lan deeply hated the Uchiha and considered herself completely severed from them, when such moments truly arrived, she couldn't remain indifferent.
The phrase "clan extermination" felt too heavy for anyone.
"Forget it. Tobirama Senju finally has a highlight moment—I needn't steal his spotlight."
Yūshin was actually somewhat curious how Tobirama would handle the Uchiha Clan. Considering that Uchiha Sasuke still appeared in later generations, along with Sasuke's attitude toward Tobirama... Hmm, hard to say, really hard to say.
Yūshin wasn't making excuses—he genuinely didn't want to steal Tobirama's spotlight. Thinking carefully, Tobirama's next highlight moment should be establishing Konoha's ANBU, right?
Too much spotlight—brighter than the sun, even more...
Black to the point of luminescence.
"Lord Yūshin, the Uzumaki Clan has arrived."
A ninja's shout from below caught Yūshin's attention. His gaze followed the direction the person indicated.
Uzumaki ninja had come for construction support—barriers, after all, were always necessary. Not having them was unacceptable.
Yūshin took the Uzumaki's arrival seriously, as he happened to have matters to discuss with them.
But when he looked toward the Uzumaki ninja, he was immediately amused.
Though these Uzumaki ninja were walking toward the construction site, every single one had their heads uniformly turned toward a certain direction, like they'd all developed identical stiff necks.
No helping it—Uzumaki ninja all possessed excellent sensing abilities. They too were monitoring the distant great battle.
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