The images on the Sky Screen continued to unfold, gradually revealing the truth of history.
[If that were all there was to it, Uchiha Madara would at most have had a difference of ideology with Senju Hashirama. But in the end, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly returned to launch an attack on Konoha, attempting to use the powerful Dojutsu of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and duel Senju Hashirama, intending to destroy the village he had once built together with Hashirama.]
---
[Konoha, Year one]
Madara shifted his gaze to Hashirama, feeling a sense of helplessness inside.
Could it be that even with the Majestic Attire: Susano'o, he still couldn't defeat Hashirama? Had this guy been holding back all along when he fought him before? This was really quite troublesome.
Hashirama, however, scratched his head and laughed a few times.
"Looks like I won in the end, hahaha!"
Madara shot him a glance. "What are you so happy about? I attacked Konoha."
The smile on Hashirama's face froze.
That's right. Madara attacked Konoha.
What was there to be happy about?
In the distance, Tobirama stood in the shade of a tree, watching this scene, silently worried inside.
His concerns were indeed not unfounded. Madara really did go to extremes in the future!
[Although Senju Hashirama emerged victorious in the end, the power they unleashed filled Senju Tobirama with fear. After all, while the Uchiha clan might be able to produce the Mangekyō Sharingan again, the Senju clan only had Hashirama with Wood Release.]
[Therefore, Senju Tobirama adopted a distrustful attitude toward the Uchiha clan and spread this mindset among Konoha's higher-ups (his disciples), causing the rift to be passed down through generations.]
Tobirama stood where he was, expressionless, yet his heart fully agreed with what the Sky Screen had said.
If the Uchiha could truly continuously produce Mangekyō Sharingan, that would indeed pose a huge threat to Konoha.
Just as the three—Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama—were each lost in thought, the Sky Screen suddenly played a scene lasting only a few seconds.
An unfamiliar melody rang out, carrying a hint of poignant beauty and sorrow.
The melody seemed to grip people's hearts.
On the screen were two familiar figures.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
"Puchi—!"
A sound like a blade piercing through flesh was heard.
Madara looked down in disbelief at his abdomen—a sword had pierced straight through, blood quickly soaking his robe.
The camera pulled back, behind Madara stood Hashirama.
The hilt of the sword was tightly gripped in his hand.
On Hashirama's face, it was impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears. His voice was low, laden with suppressed grief:
"I will not forgive anyone who threatens the village. Be they a friend… sibling… or even my own child…"
On the screen, Madara's pupils contracted to a single point, and then he smiled bitterly.
"You've changed… Hashirama."
The image cut off abruptly.
---
Back on the cliffside, in reality, Hashirama felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body. His head spun, and he could barely stand.
'Th-that was me in the future? I actually chose to kill Madara for the sake of Konoha?'
'How could I…'
Just then, a hand reached out and gently steadied him.
Hashirama turned his head and saw Madara's face, betraying no discernible emotion.
"Madara…" he muttered, his eyes filled with guilt and unease.
Madara looked at him, was silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Maybe there are some misunderstandings. And besides… we're going to change it, aren't we?"
Hashirama was stunned for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"Right! Change it!"
From the distance, Tobirama looked at them, a complex mix of emotions rising in his heart.
'These two… really…'
'Forget it, let them be.'
[Of course, this does not mean the Uchiha clan was completely innocent in this conflict. In addition to Uchiha Madara's rebellion, during Senju Tobirama's tenure, there was also an incident where Uchiha Setsuna resisted Konoha's higher-ups, which further drove a thorn into the hearts of the village's upper echelons.]
[Therefore, during Senju Tobirama's time as Hokage, he established the Konoha Military Police Force, with its main positions filled by members of the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha were tasked with maintaining order in the village, but this was both a show of trust in the Uchiha and also a means of monitoring their every move.]
[Senju Tobirama's intentions were good, but unfortunately, the policy was poorly executed by Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.]
The elderly Hiruzen looked at the Sky Screen and gave a wry smile.
He had already been raked over the coals before; this was just a minor jab.
He took a puff from his pipe and slowly exhaled the smoke.
"Old man! I told you, don't smoke in my office!!! What are you trying to be so profound about here?"
Hearing that, Hiruzen's expression grew even more pained.
Meanwhile, Danzō, idle at home, let out a cold snort. He didn't think the Sky Screen was right at all. If anything, Tobirama-sensei's intention was more likely to keep the Uchiha in check!
[From that point on, the Uchiha clan's reputation and power in Konoha reached its peak. However, precisely because of this, their gradually arrogant style of conduct caused the Uchiha to be ostracized by other Shinobi clans and the villagers. And it was for this very reason that the Uchiha clan's dream of producing a Hokage was forever cut off.]
---
[Konoha, year 52. Uchiha Clan Grounds]
The Uchiha present instantly became displeased upon hearing the Sky Screen say their conduct was arrogant.
"That's clearly our authority!" Tetsuka said loudly. "The Police Force was always Uchiha's responsibility. We were just enforcing the law—how is that arrogant?"
Inabi also fumed, "Exactly! What gives them the right to call us arrogant?"
"And why can't an Uchiha become Hokage?" Yashiro clenched his fists. "We have shed blood for Konoha. In terms of strength and contribution, what do we lack compared to others?"
For a moment, the crowd was inflamed with indignation, voices rising in heated discussion.
Fugaku sat in the main seat, saying nothing, but inwardly he seethed with resentment.
'Senju Tobirama… you bastard!'
This was a blatant open scheme—give the Uchiha the highest authority, put them at the forefront of the storm, let their every action be seen by all, and in the end, isolate them.
Shisui supported his forehead with one hand, watching his indignant clansmen.
He finally understood why the villagers had opinions about the Uchiha; with this kind of popular support, the Uchiha indeed could not become Hokage.
But—who was to blame?
Blame the duties of the Police Force?
Blame the Uchiha's style of conduct?
Or blame the person who designed all of this?
[Of course, the above only explains why the relationship between the Uchiha clan and other Shinobi clans and villagers in Konoha was poor; it would not have led to the clan massacre incident. Everything, absolutely everything, changed because of the Nine-Tails Rampage.]
---
[Konoha, Year 50]
Minato's heart sank. Just as Shikaku had said—everything happened because of his death.
He had been thinking: although the Uchiha's situation was almost exactly as the Sky Screen described, it still hadn't reached the point where the village would annihilate them!
But after his death, the village seemed to have lost most of its high-end power. They couldn't even stand up to the provocations from Kumogakure—where would they have gotten the power to annihilate the Uchiha?
Or was there more to the annihilation?
So the most urgent task, now, was to find the culprit behind the Nine-Tails incident and catch them!
As for the Uchiha's predicament—well, Kushina and Mikoto were close friends, and Fugaku also held him in high regard.
Minato believed that as long as he could prevent the Nine-Tails incident, he would have plenty of time to resolve the Uchiha issue and change their circumstances.
*****
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