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In the northeastern corner of Konoha, within the Senju Clan's compound, a heavy atmosphere loomed over the main hall.
Inside one of the rooms, the sound of coughing echoed repeatedly.
"Cough, cough."
The once-unrivaled shinobi, Senju Hashirama, had been unconscious for three days. His life force, once as vibrant and unyielding as an ancient tree, now flickered like a candle in the wind.
A tense silence enveloped the gathering. Nearly all the village's high-ranking officials were present, their expressions solemn. Everyone understood the grim reality—this might be the last day of Hashirama's life.
By the bedside, a small figure trembled with sorrow.
"Grandfather! No! Please don't leave me!"
The five-year-old Tsunade clung desperately to the edge of the bed, her voice hoarse from crying. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded with childlike innocence.
"I promise I will listen to you from now on! I will be a good girl! Just… don't leave me!"
Standing nearby, Senju Tobirama, his usual stern composure shaken, struggled to hold back his own grief.
His younger brother's white hair seemed even paler under the dim lighting. He took a deep breath, preparing to console his niece when, unexpectedly, a large yet gentle hand rested on her head.
"…Is that so?"
The weak yet familiar voice made Tsunade's breath hitch. She looked up in shock and disbelief.
"Then… shall we make a pinky promise?"
Tsunade's teary eyes widened as they met the kind and loving gaze of her grandfather.
"Grandfather… you're awake~"
Her shout of surprise sent a ripple of emotion through the crowd. For those waiting outside the room, that voice was both a relief and a painful reminder.
"…So, the time has come."
With reddened eyes, Tobirama slowly stepped out of the room. He turned to the gathered individuals and, with a heavy heart, gave them a silent nod.
One by one, they entered to bid farewell to the man who had shaped the very foundation of their village.
Among them were Uchiha Haruto and Uchiha Nagisa. The siblings approached Hashirama together, their eyes filled with sorrow yet gratitude.
"You two…" Hashirama smiled, his voice warm despite his frailty. "Do not grieve. I will soon reunite with your father. Lately… I have been dreaming a lot about the past."
His words, spoken with such clarity, made the moment feel surreal. For someone on the brink of passing, he looked strangely at peace.
"The future of Konoha rests in your hands now," Hashirama continued, his gaze filled with unshaken trust. "And of course, just like Kyōsuke, I wish to see you both live happy lives."
He chuckled softly before giving them a playful wink, subtly motioning toward the window.
Following his gaze, Haruto and Nagisa turned their heads. Outside, among those who had come to pay their respects, stood Kurama Jun and Eri. Both carried expressions of deep reverence.
"Live happily, huh…" Haruto murmured to himself, as if making a silent resolution.
Nagisa, on the other hand, seemed as carefree as ever. It was hard to tell how much of the conversation she had truly absorbed.
As the siblings left the room, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped inside alone.
A man of exceptional talent, Hiruzen had mastered five elemental nature transformations and was highly regarded by both Senju brothers.
And so, in his final moments, Hashirama made a decision for his granddaughter's future.
"Tsunade…" His voice was soft yet firm. "From now on, Hiruzen will be your teacher."
Tsunade, still sobbing, looked at the older man hesitantly. Hiruzen knelt before her, offering a reassuring smile.
"I will guide her well, Hashirama-sama," he promised. "She will become a remarkable shinobi."
True to his word, Sarutobi Hiruzen would go on to nurture a generation of legendary shinobi—the Sannin—whose influence would shape the very course of the shinobi world.
Orochimaru, whose research would push the boundaries of human potential.
Jiraiya, who would mentor the destined Child Of Prophecy.
Tsunade, who would one day become Hokage and revolutionize medical ninjutsu.
In his prime, Hiruzen proved himself to be an exceptional leader. Despite lacking a powerful clan's backing, he navigated the political turmoil of the village, solidifying his position with the help of Danzō. He maintained Konoha's stability even after the loss of the Senju brothers.
Yet, time spares no one. Even the strongest of men eventually grow weary, their once-firm resolve clouded by age and hesitation.
Regardless, in his youth, Sarutobi Hiruzen was undoubtedly a formidable leader, one whom even Uchiha Haruto regarded as a worthy rival.
Though Hiruzen had only just stepped into the realm of Kage-level power, Haruto knew that the man's true strength lay beyond mere combat prowess.
As Hiruzen left the room, fewer people remained. The farewells were nearly complete.
On his way back, Haruto walked alongside Eri. Just as they were about to return home, an inexplicable impulse led him into a nearby flower shop owned by the Yamanaka Clan.
Eri watched in surprise as the usually dense Haruto emerged, holding a single rose. Without a word, he thrust it into her hands.
"…For you."
The gesture was clumsy and abrupt, but before she could respond, Haruto had already turned and briskly walked away.
"…So he finally understands, does he?"
Princess Eri chuckled softly, feeling a mix of amusement and warmth. At that moment, she experienced an odd sentiment—something akin to a mother watching her child mature.
---
Back at the Senju compound, only two people remained in the dimly lit room.
Tobirama had embraced his brother one last time before stepping away, leaving behind a single person to bid farewell.
A person who was bound to come.
BAAANG!!!
The silence was shattered. With a resounding crash, the wooden window splintered apart, kicked open without a shred of subtlety.
Hashirama sighed at the dramatic entrance, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
"You came," he said.
Uchiha Madara stepped forward without hesitation. His eyes, blazing with a cold intensity, held a weight only he and Hashirama could comprehend.
"Enough with the nonsense," Madara snapped his fingers, and from behind him, a figure emerged.
Guruguru, or rather, Zetsu's creation, approached and regurgitated a body. It was a nearly perfect clone of Hashirama, bearing around seventy percent of his likeness.
"I have the materials ready," Madara declared. "I will use the Rinne Tensei to bring you back."
Hashirama stared at the clone, then at Madara, and finally let out a soft chuckle. He shook his head.
"…Can you let me rest, just this once?"
Madara's brows furrowed.
"Do you think it's that simple?"
Hashirama's deep, knowing gaze locked onto his old friend's face. He could see the truth without needing a special dojutsu.
The technique Madara spoke of was not a mere convenience. It was a life-for-life exchange. To bring Hashirama back, Madara would have to die.
And Hashirama was not selfish enough to accept that.
He had fought enough, given enough. He was tired. It was time for him to rest.
"The world is in your hands now, Madara."
Madara turned away sharply, as if unwilling to meet his friend's eyes.
"…You are such a fool."
"Madara…"
"I am not crying," Madara muttered.
"…It seems like you are."
"I said I'm not."
"You are lying."
"You're such a chatterbox."
For an hour, the two of them seemed to have returned to the riverbank, to the day they first met.
As Uchiha Madara recalled their competition to see who could make stones skip farther across the water, a rare smile appeared on his face.
"Hashirama, back then you..."
His lips parted, but no sound came. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not continue.
Because the person lying in that bed had long since passed away. Silent. Still. A faint, peaceful smile resting on his face, as if he had merely drifted into a dream.
Never again would he answer. Never again would he bicker back.
"…Tch."
Madara clenched his fists, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What is this… You, one after another…"
"Leaving so easily..."
A hollow ache swelled in his chest as he stared at Hashirama's face, at that maddeningly peaceful smile. The overwhelming loneliness clawed at him, but there was no one left to hear it.
After coughing forcefully a few times, Uchiha Madara turned and left Konohagakure, departing from the Land of Fire altogether. He returned to that underground cavern, a place where daylight never seemed to reach.
His physical condition was deteriorating. His battle against Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had taken a severe toll, a level of exhaustion so profound that even the Sage body could not recover from it.
By now, he was merely holding on through sheer willpower. As long as he lived, the Shinobi Sect would not dare to openly act against the leadership of Konoha.
Even if the power of Yin, bestowed upon him by the Sage of Six Paths, had faded, his Rinnegan, adorned with tomoe, remained intact.
With his formidable ocular powers, as well as the Nine-Tails slumbering within him, Uchiha Madara could still unleash strength at the level of the Six Paths.
Unless the two brothers of the Sage of Six Paths reappeared, there was no one in this world who could match him head-on.
In the endless darkness, only the faint glow of his purple eyes flickered.
---
In the sixteenth year of Konoha's founding, the Land of Fire entered a period of true rapid development.
As the victor of the war, Konohagakure had cemented its reputation as the most powerful village in the shinobi world.
Missions flooded in, so much so that even with the village's current wealth of talent, they found themselves struggling to meet the demand.
It was a troublesome yet gratifying dilemma.
That same year, Uchiha Haruto finally summoned the courage to confess his feelings, and thus, he and Eri officially became a couple.
By the seventeenth year of Konoha, under Mito's careful arrangements, Uchiha Haruto and Anzai Eri held a grand wedding, a spectacle worthy of the ages.
Invited by the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, the lords of the other four great nations personally traveled to Konoha to attend.
The Uchiha clan leader presided over the ceremony as the officiant, while key figures from the Land of Rain and the Land of Whirlpools were all present. Even the four great hidden villages sent their congratulations, though their words lacked sincerity.
The mere sight of so many prominent figures giving their speeches left the gathered villagers of Konoha utterly speechless in astonishment.
Even the succession ceremony of the Hokage had never seen such a grand occasion.
This event alone made it abundantly clear to all just what kind of presence the Uchiha clan had become.
By Konoha's eighteenth year, Kurama Jun finally mustered the courage to confess his feelings to Uchiha Nagisa. Unfortunately, she rejected him without hesitation.
"I'm not ready for a relationship yet," the young girl replied without hesitation.
Fortunately, Kurama Jun was not discouraged. He firmly believed that one day, he would win her heart.
In the nineteenth year of Konoha, Princess Eri gave birth to a child, a delicate and beautiful little girl. She was named Uchiha Kaoru.
Kaoru, as in the fragrance of lavender, as in the soft petals of Konohanasakuya's cherry blossoms.
Not only the Uchiha, but various other legendary figures from the original timeline began appearing one after another in Konoha.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru all graduated from the Ninja Academy in succession, becoming the disciples of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At the same time, the Hatake clan saw the emergence of a genius unlike any before him. His unparalleled mastery of swordsmanship stirred memories of a man long departed—the God of Shinobi.
This prodigy's name was Hatake Sakumo, a formidable talent whose mere presence placed immense pressure on even the future trio of Sannin.
By comparison, the young ninja known as Katō Dan seemed to fade into obscurity, overshadowed by the radiance of these prodigies.
The Uchiha clan, too, welcomed a promising new generation. However, at just four years old, Uchiha Fugaku did not yet attract much attention.
Similarly, the two brothers of the Hyūga clan found themselves in a comparable situation.
Beyond them, there was also a boy named Might Duy, who, after failing, humbly returned to the Ninja Academy, determined to continue his journey as a shinobi, even if it meant repeating a grade.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, bringing Konoha to its twenty-fourth year.
The older generation of shinobi had fully withdrawn from the stage of history, while figures like Haruto, Hiruzen, Ōnoki, and Hanzō gradually took hold of power, ushering in an era of their own.
Gazing out at the thriving village beyond the window, Yayoi murmured to herself, "The development of the clones is nearly complete. At last, I can lay down the burdens I've carried for so long."
In truth, it was hardly surprising. At nearly fifty years old, Hyūga Yayoi had already reached the age of knowing destiny's course.
Though she had methods to preserve her youthful appearance, making her look no different from a twenty-year-old, the weight of the years had settled upon her heart.
She was weary. She no longer wished to continue carrying such heavy responsibilities. Instead of shouldering the village's burdens, she would rather immerse herself in her research.
Thus, she made her decision. It was time to begin the selection process for the Third Hokage.
The moment the news of Yayoi's intention to step down spread, factions across the village stirred in response, preparing for a new round of competition.
After so many years, even Sunagakure had begun to flourish, and the shinobi world seemed to be thriving as a whole.
Yet, only a select few knew that a new threat had already begun to creep forth.
---
On the moon, within the grand Lunar Palace—
"Who goes there?!"
The Uchiha shinobi on guard immediately raised his vigilance as he stared at the three figures descending slowly from above.
To be able to infiltrate the palace on the moon, these intruders were certainly no ordinary opponents.
Their distinctive pale skin and flowing gray-white hair were unmistakable.
The man among them had no eyebrows, only two circular markings on his forehead.
The curved, rabbit-like horns protruding from his head made his identity clear.
"Oh?" He chuckled coldly, his gaze filled with disdain. "It seems you are the descendants of that pathetic woman, Kaguya."
"What a disgraceful existence."
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki's smile was devoid of warmth, his eyes filled with chilling malice.
..
..
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[Chapter End's]
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