Chapter 58: A Futile Plea
Hashirama left the Senju compound like a gust of wind, his singular focus carrying him swiftly to the familiar riverbank, the secret meeting place that had become a sanctuary for him and his friend.
"Madara," he called out, his voice echoing slightly over the water.
The Uchiha heir was already there, standing with his back to the approaching Senju. "I'm here," Madara replied, his tone uncharacteristically flat. "I came because of the clan. And you?" It was the first time he had openly acknowledged their conflicting heritages in this place.
"Me too," Hashirama said, settling onto the grass. "And I know who you are, Uchiha Madara."
A heavy silence fell between them. "I see," Madara finally said, picking up a stone and skipping it across the water's surface. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is that we're still friends, right?"
"Two years," Hashirama murmured, watching the ripples fade. "We've been friends for two years. Isn't that right, Uchiha Madara?"
Hearing his full name spoken so deliberately, Madara's posture stiffened. "Yes. Two years. So, Senju Hashirama, when did you know?"
The use of his own full name confirmed it. The unspoken wall between their clans had finally been erected here, on this sacred ground. Hashirama had no answer. How could he explain generations of spilled blood and entrenched hatred?
"Oh? Madara, Hashirama, you're both here again?"
A new voice cut through the tension. Both boys turned to see Uchiha Raizen approaching calmly.
"Madara, who is this?" Hashirama asked, his guard instantly up.
"An elder of my clan," Madara stated bluntly, no longer seeing a reason for secrecy. "Uchiha Raizen."
Hashirama's eyes widened. "The one who went to the Hyūga clan with only ten guards? Did you... did you come here to ambush me?"
"Tch," Madara scoffed, a flicker of his old pride returning. "When have I, Uchiha Madara, ever needed such underhanded tactics? This annoying guy came here on his own."
As the two friends bickered, Uchiha Raizen could only watch with a sense of inevitability. Their bond was so strong it created a world for two, excluding all others.
"You brought someone," Hashirama pointed out, refusing to let it go.
"And you didn't?" Madara retorted, his Sharingan snapping to life with a crimson glow. "This place is no longer pure. Our friendship is tainted."
It was then that Tobirma emerged from the tree line behind Hashirama. "Brother! Why are you here?"
"Tobirma?" Hashirama looked genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I... Father..."
"Enough!" Hashirama cut him off, his voice firm. "Go back. All of you. If anyone else is hiding, tell them to leave. If you don't, I will take my own life right here, right now."
"Brother!"
"GO BACK!"
Seeing the unshakeable resolve in Hashirama's eyes, Tobirma reluctantly retreated, signaling the dozen elite Senju Jonin hidden in the forest to withdraw.
Even after they were gone, Madara's Sharingan remained active, spinning slowly.
"Hashirama," he said, his voice cold. "If this happens again, we are no longer friends. Now, state your purpose."
"I want peace," Hashirama pleaded, stepping forward. "My father doesn't want to fight. We didn't orchestrate the Hyūga attack! We were all manipulated! If we fight now, we're only doing what our enemy wants!"
"Stop!" Madara roared, the raw pain of his loss finally breaking through. "You think you can just say 'stop' and it's over? My brothers! Five of them are gone! Do you understand that?!"
"I do understand!" Hashirama shouted back, tears welling in his own eyes. "But that's exactly why we have to stop! If we continue, we're just giving the real enemy what they want!"
The plea hung in the air, a desperate hope against the immovable mountain of Uchiha Madara's grief and rage.