"Forget it. There's no point in chasing the remaining Kaguya clan members anymore." Madara Uchiha glanced at the lifeless body of Kaguya Itabashi, his expression unreadable. He had once despised Itabashi, but the man had died with honor, embracing death through his own ritual. Even Madara, hardened by war, couldn't help but respect his determination.
Despite their enmity, the Kaguya clan elders and Kaguya Itabashi had ensured the survival of their bloodline. It left Madara with mixed feelings—he couldn't truly hate them anymore.
Word of the Kaguya clan's destruction at the hands of the Uchiha spread rapidly across the Land of Fire and beyond. The Uchiha, already a fearsome clan, had surpassed even the Senju, now standing on the brink of becoming the most powerful force in the land. Their members celebrated their victory with songs, feasts, and laughter. Some traveled to the battlefield where the Kaguya clan had met their end, marveling at the forest of white bones left behind.
Despite the brutal battle, the Uchiha had suffered no casualties. Their overwhelming power sent shockwaves throughout the ninja world, leaving various clans in a state of fear.
The Sarutobi and Shimura clans, long-standing rivals of the Uchiha, were especially uneasy. They feared they might be the next to fall, sharing the fate of the Kaguya. Even the mighty Senju clan felt the pressure. Though they had always been the Uchiha's greatest adversaries, the power balance was shifting—and not in their favor.
Inside the Senju compound, Tobirama Senju paced anxiously.
"Brother, the Uchiha are a ticking time bomb. The power gap between us has grown too wide. They still have Uchiha Xiuyu at their side. Doesn't that concern you?" His frustration was evident.
Hashirama Senju, however, held a different perspective. With a bright smile, he held up a letter. "Tobirama, I've received word from Madara. He's working hard to unite the Uchiha and wants to build a true village with us. My dream is within reach!"
Tobirama's skepticism remained. "You trust him too much. What if this is just a ploy to buy time?"
Hashirama sighed. "Tobirama, stop treating the Uchiha like enemies at every turn."
"They are enemies! Have you forgotten how Kawarama died? The Uchiha killed him! And you expect me to trust them?" Tobirama's voice rose with anger.
Hashirama's expression darkened. The mention of their younger brother, Kawarama Senju—slain by the Uchiha as a child—struck a deep nerve.
"I know... I feel the same pain," Hashirama admitted, his tone heavy with sorrow. "But that's exactly why we need to build a village. To stop these tragedies. To create a world where children don't have to die on the battlefield."
Tobirama scoffed. "Evil Uchiha..." He turned sharply and stormed off.
Hashirama shook his head in frustration. Tobirama had always been independent, and as he grew older, his stubbornness only intensified.
Unbeknownst to Hashirama, Tobirama had already made his decision. If the power balance was shifting in favor of the Uchiha, he would restore equilibrium himself.
His target? Uchiha Izuna.
Madara was too powerful. Uchiha Xiuyu was also beyond reach. But Izuna? He was the perfect target.
Recently, Tobirama had perfected a new technique—Flying Thunder God. If Izuna made even the slightest mistake, Tobirama was certain he could eliminate him instantly.
When Tobirama learned that Izuna would be traveling without Madara, he saw his chance.
Izuna was leading a group to secure supplies from Fire Nation officials. The Uchiha's growing dominance meant their consumption was high, and Izuna couldn't afford to let anything jeopardize their resources.
As they traveled, a lone shuriken whistled through the air, landing near Izuna. His eyes narrowed.
"Tobirama, stop hiding. I can smell your stink a mile away."
A chuckle echoed through the trees before Tobirama stepped into view. "So you do recognize me. And yet you still followed?"
Izuna smirked, his Sharingan gleaming. "You think too highly of yourself. With these eyes, your tricks are useless. Are you here to surrender?"
Tobirama remained silent, gripping a kunai.
"You're lucky," Izuna continued. "I won't kill you. Consider it an act of mercy."
"How shameless." Tobirama flicked his kunai toward Izuna's face.
Izuna sneered. "Slow. In the Sharingan's sight, your attack might as well be crawling."
But the moment the kunai reached him—
Flying Thunder God Slash!
Tobirama teleported mid-air, his blade slicing deep into Izuna's side.
Izuna staggered, blood spraying from the wound. His mind reeled. How?! He was over there just a second ago!
Coughing up blood, Izuna barely managed to activate Susanoo, wrapping himself in its spectral armor.
Tobirama clicked his tongue. "Tch. Still alive."
Just then, the sound of approaching Uchiha reinforcements reached his ears.
No time to finish the job.
With a swift Body Flicker, Tobirama vanished into the forest.
"Izuna!" His clan members rushed to his side. "Damn it, this wound is too deep! Get him back to the village—now!"
Izuna held on until they reached the Uchiha compound. But as soon as they arrived, darkness swallowed his vision, and he collapsed.
The news reached Madara instantly. He bolted toward the medical hall, his heart pounding. When he saw Izuna's bloodied body, his breath caught in his throat.
"Madara! Calm down!" Uchiha Xiuyu barked. "We need Mito and Masahiko—now!"
Madara clenched his fists but nodded, forcing himself to focus. Minutes later, Mito Uzumaki arrived, quickly joining Xiuyu in treating Izuna.
Xiuyu Palm Healing Jutsu slowed the bleeding, while Mito expertly stitched the deep wound shut. Together, they worked tirelessly, pouring their chakra into stabilizing Izuna.
Madara paced back and forth, unable to stay still.
"Madara, stop moving around! With them working together, Izuna will live," Masahiko muttered, annoyed.
Madara shot him a glare but held his tongue. Masahiko was from the Uzumaki clan—they owed him their cooperation.
Hours passed before the door finally opened.
Madara rushed inside. "How is he?!"
Xiuyu wiped the sweat from his brow. "Relax, Madara. Izuna will survive."
Madara exhaled sharply. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.
For hours, it had felt as though a viper had coiled around his heart, suffocating him with fear. Now, at last, he could breathe again.
But even as relief washed over him, something dark stirred in his soul.
He wouldn't lose another loved one. Not ever again.
----
Uchiha Izuna's survival was completely unexpected—at least, according to the history Su Xiuyu knew. But honestly, he didn't care. He had no intention of preserving the timeline or ensuring things played out the way they were supposed to.
Madara's Suspicion
"You were following Izuna, and you didn't even see the attacker?"
Madara was relieved that Izuna had survived, but his frustration with the escorting clan members was clear. It was unacceptable that they hadn't even caught a glimpse of the assailant.
"We're sorry, Patriarch. The attacker first used shuriken to distract Lord Izuna, then ambushed him by the riverbank. We were focused on protecting the supplies… and before we could react, Izuna was already down…"
The Uchiha warriors lowered their heads in shame. The pride of the Uchiha clan demanded strength and accountability—when they failed, they had to own up to it.
Madara exhaled sharply, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "Forget it. I won't blame you. If the attacker was strong enough to take down Izuna, then they weren't some nobody. At least Izuna is alive."
The warriors bowed once more before leaving the room.
Now, only Madara, Su Xiuyu, and the unconscious Izuna remained. His injuries were severe, and he hadn't woken up yet.
Su Xiuyu, seated beside Izuna, broke the silence. "I have a pretty good idea who did this."
Madara's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"Ninety percent chance it was Tobirama," Su Xiuyu stated bluntly. "Right now, the only people in the Land of Fire who can absolutely defeat Izuna are you, Hashirama, and me. Tobirama is roughly on par with Izuna, so unless someone from another country was involved—which doesn't make sense because they have no reason to provoke the Uchiha—Tobirama is the most likely culprit."
Madara's expression darkened as he stood abruptly. "I'm going to see Hashirama."
Su Xiuyu sighed. "Madara, don't escalate this into an all-out war. If you're going to fight, fine—but don't drag the entire Senju clan into it. You still want to unite the Land of Fire, remember?"
Madara barely acknowledged him. "I know my limits." Without another word, he stormed off.
Su Xiuyu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Totally rational guy."
Just to be safe, he summoned a Wood Clone. "Wood Release: Wood Clone." The duplicate took off after Madara, following from a distance. If things got too messy, Su Xiuyu wanted to be there to contain the damage.
—
"Hashirama! Tobirama! Get out here!"
Madara's voice thundered as he stood at the Senju clan's gates, issuing his challenge.
Inside the Senju compound, clan members immediately took notice.
"Clan Leader, Uchiha Madara is here—alone. Do we engage?"
Hashirama shook his head. "No, stay put. I'll handle this." He moved quickly toward the entrance, not wanting things to spiral out of control.
Meanwhile, Tobirama frowned as he overheard the commotion. "Damn, he got here fast. Should I use this opportunity to kill him?"
He still wasn't sure how Madara had figured out the attacker was from the Senju clan, but it didn't matter. If an opportunity presented itself, Tobirama wasn't the type to waste it.
At the gates, Hashirama arrived to meet his furious rival. "Madara, what's going on? I thought we were here to discuss an alliance."
"Where's Tobirama?" Madara growled. "He tried to kill Izuna, and now he's hiding?"
Hashirama blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? What happened to Izuna?"
Tobirama casually stepped into view. "Brother, don't bother. Yeah, I ambushed Izuna. He should be dead by now."
Madara's rage exploded. "You son of a—!"
Hashirama's face paled. "Tobirama, why?! We've already started discussing an alliance!"
"Brother, think logically. Right now, the Uchiha have three top-tier fighters—Madara, Izuna, and Xiuyu. We only have you and me. Our high-end combat power is unbalanced. You seriously don't see the problem?" Tobirama countered.
"You're telling me you tried to assassinate Izuna just because of that?!" Madara roared. "I'll fucking kill you—Susanoo!"
A massive ethereal warrior formed around him, its glowing blue armor radiating raw power.
"Madara, don't do this!" Hashirama raised his hands in a desperate attempt to de-escalate the situation.
But there was no stopping Madara now.
The battle exploded into chaos. Madara unleashed Susanoo's power, forcing Hashirama to respond with Wood Release: Birth of the Tree World. A massive forest sprouted around them, but Madara's Susanoo Blades cut through it like paper.
"You really think this can stop me?" Madara sneered. His mastery over Susanoo had reached a new level—its form was more solid, more refined. His attacks carved through the trees faster than they could regenerate.
Hashirama gritted his teeth. "I don't want to fight you, Madara, but if I have to—Wood Release: Wooden Golem Jutsu!"
A towering wooden giant took form, standing slightly taller than Susanoo. The two colossi clashed, shaking the earth beneath them.
Despite his rage, Madara was still careful—his attacks stayed clear of the Senju clan's main territory. He wanted to kill Tobirama, not burn bridges completely.
The battle raged on, neither side backing down. Susanoo's twin swords clashed against the wooden golem's crushing fists, creating shockwaves that shattered the landscape.
But something was wrong.
Madara's body ached. His vision blurred. Controlling Susanoo was getting harder.
He clenched his teeth. What's happening to me?
Then, suddenly—everything went dark.
Susanoo vanished.
Madara staggered, his body feeling like it was being torn apart from the inside.
Seeing his moment, Tobirama teleported behind Madara using Flying Thunder God Slash, his blade poised for a fatal strike—
But before he could land the attack, a stone pillar erupted from the ground, forcing him to retreat.
"Tch. Another meddler."
Su Xiuyu stepped forward, unfazed. "Tobirama, sneak attacks aren't a great look for you."
Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "Uchiha Xiuyu."
Su Xiuyu smirked. "You really should pick your fights better."
With Madara barely staying on his feet, Tobirama decided it wasn't worth pushing further. He backed off, though his frustration was obvious.
Meanwhile, Su Xiuyu approached Madara. "You alright?"
Madara wiped sweat from his brow, his breathing ragged. "I don't know what's happening, but… my body hurts like hell."
Su Xiuyu's eyes darkened. So, the side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan are already kicking in.
He sighed. "Yeah… this is just the beginning."
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