Madara finally cracked.
After Hashirama's relentless, guilt-fueled lecture, which felt long enough to end the war by itself, Madara sighed dramatically and threw up his hands.
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry. It's my fault, okay?"
I exhaled slowly, the fading shock of nearly being incinerated mixing with lingering disbelief. "Okay," I replied, still a little breathless. "As long as you're more careful next time… we'll call it even."
Hashirama deflated with relief, shoulders dropping as if he'd been holding the world up by himself. Then his brow furrowed with sudden curiosity.
"But really, how did you bounce it back? That was a big Fireball Jutsu!"
Madara nodded, still wearing his grudgingly apologetic expression."I seriously thought you were going to turn into a pile of ash. How did you survive that?"
Before I could answer, Hashirama spun on him again.
"Madara! Do you understand how dangerous that jutsu is? You could've-"
Madara groaned loudly. "Hashirama, PLEASE, no more preaching!"
Their familiar chaos sparked something warm in my chest. Watching the two bicker felt… comforting, somehow. Like witnessing a scene straight from the anime I loved in my past life.
They noticed my smile mid-argument and froze.
"What?" Madara grumbled.
I chuckled softly. "You two are honestly hilarious."
Then I raised a hand. "If you want to know how I reflected it, I'll show you. Tomorrow. I'm exhausted today. I barely have any chakra left."
Madara scoffed instantly, arms crossed again as if he hadn't apologised moments earlier.
"You have almost no chakra because you're too weak, even for a civilian," he said bluntly. "We have fifty times what you do."
Hashirama quickly placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't mind him," he said reassuringly. "Rest for now. We'll meet here every day, so you'll always find us."
Madara met my gaze again, pride flickering behind his annoyance. His arrogance wasn't entirely without reason; he was Madara Uchiha after all.
But I didn't back down.
"I wasn't born into a privileged clan," I said quietly. "Where I come from… we don't know if we'll survive tomorrow. Training isn't a luxury we get to waste energy on."
That silenced them both.
Madara's expression shifted first, surprisingly softening with something like understanding.Hashirama's eyes filled with pity.
"If you're okay with it," Hashirama began gently, "as an apology for nearly killing you… I can teach you basic chakra extraction and a little ninjutsu."
My pride slammed into place.
"No," I said firmly. "I don't want pity. Especially not from ninjas."
Hashirama winced, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ah… sorry."
Madara let out a snort. "Relax, weakling. We're not pitying you. It's just a fact, you're weak. We're giving you a chance to be strong."
Hashirama brightened instantly, seizing the opportunity. "Right! How about this: we become friends first. And then I teach you as a friend. No pity involved!"
I paused.
Friends.
This was exactly how their story began: two boys from enemy clans meeting by chance, forming a bond before realising they were destined to clash.
A golden opportunity.
"Alright…" I said finally, extending my hand. "I'm Ishiki."
Hashirama grasped it without hesitation, grinning widely. "I'm Hashirama!"
Madara crossed his arms, then finally gave a stiff nod. "…Madara."
They didn't offer their clan names, of course, they didn't. Their friendship in the original timeline began in secrecy, both of them unaware they belonged to opposing clans.
This moment was the same.
The three of us formally introduced ourselves as if destiny itself had arranged the meeting.
Hashirama motioned for me to sit by the riverbank. "Come on. I'll help you unlock your chakra."
His smile was unbearably warm. Madara pretended not to care, but he quietly moved closer as well.
I sat.
Hashirama placed his hand gently on my back.
And then,
A surge of warmth rushed into me.
Not overwhelming, but steady, like a living thread weaving into my nervous system. Hashirama guided the energy like a master sculptor, shaping clay.
"This is chakra," he explained, voice soft. "Follow it. Feel the flow. Remember the sensation."
I focused, closing my eyes.
His chakra travelled through me like glowing water, illuminating pathways I never knew existed.
But even with his help, even with direct chakra infusion…
I struggled.
A lot.
I could barely sense it at first. My body felt unresponsive, like rusted machinery creaking under a new load.
After an embarrassingly long struggle, I finally, finally, managed to gather a tiny, miserable ball of chakra in my gut.
Hashirama beamed.Madara scoffed.I wanted to cry.
So this is a talent difference…
"It's fine," I muttered under my breath. "I have Doraemon props. With them, I'll surpass all of you."
Madara raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Nothing."
Just as I began crafting my next plan, the familiar blue shimmer of the system panel appeared before me.
STATUS
Name: IshikiAge: 12Chakra: 8 / 8Strength: 4
I stared at the numbers.
"So my chakra is double my strength… and when my strength increases, chakra increases too."
A simple rule.
A powerful rule.
A rule I could exploit endlessly.
My lips curled into a grin.
This was my starting point.
And these two boys, Hashirama and Madara, would become the first witnesses to my rise.
Whether they realised it or not.