Chapter 32: The Awakening of the Eternal Mangekyō: A Battle at the Peak
Madara was finally convinced. With both Su Xiuyu and Izuna advising him to proceed with the eye transplant, he understood that without it, fully utilizing the Mangekyō Sharingan would be difficult.
Su Xiuyu and Mito performed the procedure together. To ensure success, Su Xiuyu even provided Mito with modern ophthalmology monographs for reference. He carefully studied Uchiha Tajima's eyes, analyzing their shape, structure, and chakra meridians before proceeding.
With the combined efforts of the two, the surgery was completed swiftly. However, both Madara and Izuna needed time to recover.
During the Fourth Shinobi War, Madara had treated the Sharingan—and even his arms—like interchangeable plug-ins, almost like a USB drive. But that was only possible because of the Hashirama cells he obtained after his resurrection. Unlike him, Uchiha Sasuke had required significant recovery time after transplanting Itachi's eyes.
Unfortunately, not everyone possessed the insane regeneration of Hashirama Senju. His healing abilities were so ridiculous that he barely needed medical attention.
While Madara and Izuna recuperated, Su Xiuyu temporarily took charge of the Uchiha clan. Madara and Izuna trusted him enough to handle things, especially since he could summon Susanoo with only three tomoe. Even if Hashirama launched an attack, they had nothing to fear.
Meanwhile, a fierce debate erupted within the Senju clan over whether to form an alliance with the Uchiha.
"Clan leader, I strongly oppose this alliance! We've been at war with the Uchiha for centuries. The hatred runs too deep—I don't trust them."
"I agree! My father was killed by the Uchiha. I'll never forget how he died... How can you expect us to work with them?"
Many voiced their opposition, while some remained silent. These were the ones caught between their duty and exhaustion from endless warfare. They didn't necessarily oppose peace, but their loyalty to the Senju made them hesitant.
Tobirama cut through the discussion with a sharp remark. "Brother, if we ally with the Uchiha, we'll be at a disadvantage. Right now, the balance of power between our clans is broken. Even if we want peace, do we really want to enter an alliance where we're the weaker side?"