Finally, Madara fell to the ground, his once-mighty form lying still against the battle-worn earth. This scene made one thing painfully clear—when Hashirama got serious, Madara was no match for him.
Without the power of the Nine Tails to support him, Madara couldn't unleash the devastating force of his previous attacks. Hashirama didn't even need to summon his most powerful techniques, like the Thousand-Armed Kanon.
"Brother, what happened here?" Tobirama appeared at the scene as if he had teleported. His sharp gaze flicked between Madara, who lay motionless on the ground, and Hashirama, who stood solemnly over him. His face was filled with suspicion.
Hashirama and Madara had always been close. Why were they suddenly fighting?
Hashirama let out a sigh, his gaze unwavering. "Tobirama, go back first. This is between Madara and me."
His tone left no room for argument.
Tobirama opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he met his brother's firm eyes. Instead, he simply nodded. "Fine. I'll assess the damage first."
With that, he left, leaving the two old friends alone.
Hashirama knelt beside Madara, his expression filled with sadness. "Madara, even now, I struggle to believe you've strayed so far from our ideals."
Madara, still catching his breath, clenched his fists. His mind raced with questions, his anger threatening to flare once more. But something in Hashirama's voice made him pause.
"You... you know everything?" Madara finally asked.
"How could I not?" Hashirama replied. "Otherwise, why would I be here?"
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Madara, listen to me," Hashirama continued. "It's not too late to turn back."
But Madara only sneered. "Hashirama, do you know that the Sage of Six Paths' vision for the world was a failure? I will create a truly perfect world!"
His voice grew sharp. "It doesn't matter how you learned about my plan, because there's nothing you can do to stop me."
Hashirama frowned. "Wait... What are you talking about? The Eye of the Moon?"
Madara froze for a moment. "...You don't know?"
"I've heard the name before," Hashirama admitted. "Are you referring to the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
Madara's expression darkened.
"Didn't you just say you already knew about my Eye of the Moon plan?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
"No. What I'm angry about is your betrayal of our original dream," Hashirama replied. "We agreed to create a world without war, but instead, you've become its greatest source of chaos."
"And worse…" Hashirama's voice grew heavier. "You manipulated an innocent boy, Obito, and turned him into a weapon. Your actions have caused countless tragedies."
Madara's fists tightened.
"Haxi Hot Mom!" he shouted, his frustration boiling over.
"You're messing with me!"
Thinking that his Eye of the Moon plan had been exposed was one thing, but this nonsense about the future? It was ridiculous!
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Flames erupted from Madara's mouth, surging toward Hashirama with intense heat.
---
Meanwhile, in the Present
Shinomiya Uzumaki sat in class, resting his chin on his palm, deep in thought.
"Strange… Why hasn't Hashirama said anything yet?" he muttered to himself. "He cares about Madara more than anyone. Shouldn't he have reacted by now?"
Just as he pondered this, the school bell rang.
"Forget it. Time to head home."
What Shinomiya didn't know was that Hashirama was an action-oriented man. Instead of responding in the group chat, he had gone straight to Madara in the real world.
As Shinomiya packed up, Naruto approached him.
"Hey, Shinomiya, can I come over for dinner?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Shinomiya smirked. "Of course. I was about to invite you anyway."
"Really? Awesome!" Naruto beamed.
Compared to eating instant ramen at home alone, having a proper meal at Shinomiya's place was a rare treat.
As they walked out of the classroom together, chatting and laughing, Sakura glanced at them with disdain.
"Figures. Those two losers always stick together," she muttered.
Beside her, Ino overheard and rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk, Forehead Girl. Badmouthing them behind their backs? Not cool."
Sakura shot her a glare. "Mind your own business, Pig. Unless, of course, you're into them?"
Ino huffed. "Hmph." She turned away and walked off.
Sakura ignored her and turned her attention back to Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, let's go together!" she said sweetly.
But Sasuke walked right past her without so much as a glance, leaving her standing there, humiliated.
---
Dinner at Shinomiya's Place
On the way home, Shinomiya and Naruto stopped by the market to buy ingredients.
Once they arrived, Shinomiya tossed Naruto a task.
"You wash the rice and start the rice cooker. I'll handle the cooking."
"Got it!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.
A short while later, a warm, home-cooked meal was laid out on the table—a simple but hearty spread of steamed fish, fresh greens, and a bowl of hot soup.
For Naruto, who was used to eating instant ramen alone, this meal felt like a luxury.
"This is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed between bites, practically inhaling his food.
Watching him, Shinomiya smirked.
"Oi, slow down. You're gonna choke."
When Naruto finally finished, he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Man, that was delicious! Thanks for the meal, Shinomiya!"
Shinomiya leaned back and crossed his arms. "You think that was free?"
Naruto froze. "...Huh?"
"You're washing the dishes."
Naruto grinned. "Oh! No problem!"
After cleaning up, Naruto said his goodbyes and headed home, leaving Shinomiya to unwind for the evening.
Lying in bed, Shinomiya scrolled through the group chat.
His eyes widened at the messages.
Obito and Minato were chatting non-stop.
As he scrolled up, the conversation became increasingly ridiculous.
"Oh boy… this kid, Obito, is really getting ahead of himself."
Apparently, after unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan, Obito had declared that he would unite the ninja world and achieve true peace.
Shinomiya shook his head.
His goal was noble, but he clearly overestimated himself.
Thankfully, Minato stepped in to talk some sense into him.
Obito with dual Kamui was undeniably powerful. However, he had a major weakness—he lacked Hashirama's cells.
In the original timeline, Obito had been able to spam his Mangekyō abilities without consequence because of the regenerative properties of Hashirama's cells. But in this reality, he had no such advantage.
Without that "power bank," he would burn out his eyes in no time.
Plus, aside from Kamui, Obito didn't have much else.
He had no Wood Style.
No fire Style.
No advanced battle techniques.
And yet, he thought he could unite the ninja world?
Shinomiya let out a sigh and muttered, "This guy… he needs a reality check."
Little did he know, reality was already coming for him—faster than he expected.
---
To be continued…