Capital of the Land of Fire. Night.
Hashirama was drinking sorrowful wine with his brother Tobirama.
"Tobi-rama... why won't Mokuma forgive me..."
Hashirama's face was flushed red; he was definitely drunk.
Tobirama felt speechless looking at his brother like this.
How should I know? I don't have a son...
Not long ago, Hashirama had tried to visit Mokuma again but was turned away at the door.
Hashirama had always wanted to apologize for his mistake, but he never had the chance.
Meanwhile, Mizuna was wandering the streets.
Suddenly, he spotted the two brothers drinking in a shop.
Mizuna walked over excitedly.
"Brother-in-law! Mid! I've been looking for you guys for ages! Seriously! Why did you come to this place to drink?"
Seeing Mizuna, Hashirama leaned his big face close.
"It's... it's Mizuna... Come! Have a round with Brother-in-law!"
Tobirama pushed his brother's face away and asked Mizuna:
"Mizuna, do you need something?"
Mizuna smiled slightly, pulled a piece of paper from behind his back, and handed it to Tobirama.
Tobirama took it, read the words, and was suddenly shocked.
"You want us to sing at Mokuma's wedding? No! Don't even think about it! This is nonsense!"
Tobirama refused sternly. Even the drunk Hashirama sobered up a bit, looking at Mizuna seriously.
"Mizuna! I hope my son's wedding can be held perfectly! It's better... not to do these things."
Mizuna knew the brothers wouldn't agree, so he had prepared his speech.
"Brother-in-law! And Mid! Listen to me. I think about it this way: Music is something people can appreciate quietly, but it is also a weapon to move people's hearts, a tool to communicate souls."
The brothers looked confused.
Mizuna realized he was being too poetic, so he switched to layman's terms.
"I want to throw a big Party at the wedding, hype up the crowd, and then let you use music to communicate with Brother Mokuma."
The brothers still didn't quite get it.
Mizuna sighed helplessly.
"Sing a song, pull a stunt (Zheng Huo), apologize, done."
Hashirama punched his palm with his fist.
"Oh! Just getting the atmosphere going!"
Mizuna sweated.
"Roughly... pretty much... maybe that's what I mean..."
Hashirama laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! I agree with this! How about it, Tobi-rama?"
Tobirama crossed his arms, his face serious.
"I disagree! Anija! This is too reckless! A wedding is a solemn event, how can we make it so noisy?"
Seeing logic wouldn't work on Tobirama, Mizuna changed tactics.
"I heard Big Bro Madara will also be dedicating a song~ Don't tell me a certain Mid is afraid~"
Tobirama got triggered immediately.
"Him? That Naturally Evil Uchiha Madara? Me, avoid his edge? I'm in!" Tobirama shouted.
Mizuna's mouth curled up slightly.
"Keikaku Dori! (All according to plan) (｀?′)"
---
Next, Mizuna found Mito, who was chatting with Tamako in her room.
Mito was very hesitant after hearing the plan, but hearing that Tobirama was participating reassured her.
"If even Tobirama agreed, it should be fine."
Tamako also expressed that she wanted her wedding to be livelier.
So she got up, preparing to tell her fiancé, Mokuma Senju.
Seeing this, Mizuna went to find the last person.
Madara Uchiha!
That's right! Madara hadn't actually agreed to participate yet. Mizuna had bluffed Tobirama earlier.
But according to Mizuna's logic, if the event happens in the end, it doesn't count as lying~
Mizuna searched the streets of the Capital for a long time but couldn't find Madara.
Mizuna was puzzled.
"Where can a living person run off to?"
Suddenly, a strong wind blew. Leaves fell from the trees and drifted into the distance.
Mizuna looked up and saw a melancholic figure sitting on top of a high tower.
Mizuna gasped.
"Holy Melancholic Cold Domineering CEO!"
Mizuna climbed to the roof in a few jumps and asked Madara, who was sitting with his back to him:
"Big Bro Madara? My brother-in-law and the others are drinking. Why aren't you with them?"
At this moment, Madara was holding a leaf with a hole in it, looking at the moon through the hole. (Note: Classic Hashirama/Madara flashback imagery).
Madara sighed.
"Mizuna... Hashirama has brothers... and family... But I... have nothing left..."
Mizuna looked at Madara's lonely back and felt a bit sad. He seemed to see a lonely old man in his twilight years, sitting there all by himself.
Mizuna walked over, sat down next to Madara, and said softly:
"I know Big Bro Madara has always been alone, so I won't give up on you. If Big Bro Madara gets old in the future, let me take care of you!" Mizuna pointed at himself as he spoke.
Madara looked at the red-haired boy in front of him. The moonlight shone on his smiling face; it was so pure. Madara looked at the leaf in his hand again, then let it go with the wind.
Seeing Madara looked a bit better, Mizuna added:
"And Uncle Madara, don't be too anxious. I've found a way to resurrect Brother Izuna. Just wait until after the Lantern Festival, and I can bring Brother Izuna back to life."
Madara stared at Mizuna blankly. He didn't expect Mizuna to still remember what Madara had dismissed as boasting back then, and to still be working on it. Thinking of this, Madara smiled.
"Thank you, brat."
Mizuna just smiled and didn't say anything more.
The two of them sat on the high tower, watching the moon.
---
Below.
Tobirama stood up from his seat. He could see the two people on the high tower perfectly. Tobirama sighed helplessly and began his monologue:
"People used to think the Senju clan saw love, not Jutsu, as power... while the Uchiha clan placed the power of Jutsu first... But, the truth is not so. No clan's love is deeper than the Uchiha's..."
Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
"So the Uchiha sealed it away. Once an Uchiha knows love... the feelings they have restrained for so long are released, and a power surpassing the Senju awakens!"
Tobirama turned to look at the crowd in the distance.
"Love that is too strong hides the possibility of running wild... An Uchiha who has known love, once they lose that strong love, the love is replaced by even stronger hatred... and their entire personality changes!"
Tobirama looked at his Flying Raijin Kunai.
"When an Uchiha loses a greater love, or suffers from their own disappointment... a special Chakra surges in their brain, affecting the optic nerves, causing the eyes to change..."
Tobirama turned to look at Madara again—no, at Madara's eyes.
"This is the eye that reflects the heart... the so-called Sharingan!"
Tobirama sighed, helped the drunk Hashirama up, and walked toward their lodging.
Behind them, the waiters whispered to each other:
"Look at that guy. He definitely has mental issues! Standing up and blabbering a bunch of stuff no one understands, looking around like a poser. Definitely a psycho!"
Another waiter agreed:
"Yeah! That guy looks weird! We better stay away from people like that next time!"
Suddenly, they both realized something.
"Customer! You haven't paid the bill yet!"
Far away, Tobirama: "Why do I feel like someone is badmouthing me?" (?д??)
......