Chapter 59: The Uchiha Clan’s Underground Stone Tablet
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama sat side by side, quietly finishing their bowls of noodles. Once done, they placed their chopsticks down with a soft clink.
"Madara... do you think we can ever go back to how things were?" Hashirama asked suddenly, unable to hide the longing in his voice.
In his heart, Madara was still that boy who once skipped stones with him by the lake, sharing dreams of peace and unity. But time had passed, and things had changed.
Hashirama was now the Hokage—the leader of Konoha. Madara, on the other hand, had long since let go of any attachments to the village or the Five Great Nations. His ambitions stretched far beyond such borders.
Even though he hadn't fought Su Xiuyu lately, Madara was certain Xiuyu had far surpassed him. He refused to slow his younger brother down, let alone rely on his help—whether that be with training or access to the Chakra Fruit.
He was the elder brother, damn it. He wasn't about to ride Xiuyu's coattails.
"There's no going back, Hashirama," Madara said, his tone steady. "You're the Hokage now. I have responsibilities too—to both the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans. We've grown up. We're not kids anymore."
Hashirama's shoulders slumped. It stung to hear that. They used to be best friends. But since founding Konoha, that closeness had faded into something... distant. And now, Su Xiuyu stood where he used to.
In his mind, Hashirama still couldn't accept that someone else had taken his place—not just as Madara's confidant, but even in Mito's heart.
"How's Xiuyu doing?" he asked, voice quieter now.
Madara replied calmly, "He and Mito went off to train. Where exactly, I don't know—the ninja world's huge. But you know how strong he is. There's no need to worry."