"How would you know if you don't at least try?"
Setsuna was caught off guard and looked at Ikusa in confusion.
"Oh, then good luck."
Ikusa nodded, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked away from Naka Shrine.
Convince Uchiha Madara to abandon the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan?
Words alone wouldn't be enough.
"Shouldn't I at least give it a shot?"
Setsuna stared at Ikusa's retreating figure, then turned to Uchiha Tatsumi.
Tatsumi wasn't particularly strong, but Setsuna had always respected his intelligence.
"Good luck."
Tatsumi blinked, hesitated for a moment, then wished Setsuna luck.
Before Setsuna could say anything else, Tatsumi immediately left the shrine.
"Good luck?"
Setsuna turned to Uchiha Motohide.
"Uh…"
Motohide awkwardly scratched his nose.
He had to admit, Setsuna had guessed right.
But now that Setsuna had said it first, he couldn't just throw out the same phrase and walk away.
After all, they were family. They saw each other every day.
"You do know that convincing Uchiha Madara to abandon the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan is one of Konohagakure's key future objectives, right?"
Uchiha Motohide hesitated for a moment before asking Uchiha Setsuna.
"You know, right?"
Setsuna nodded.
"Then why do you think this matter has reached the top of Konoha's leadership for discussion?"
Motohide raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away.
As for whether Setsuna would side with Madara, Motohide wasn't worried.
After all, the moment Setsuna asked that question, his stance was already clear.
If he blindly supported Madara, he wouldn't even think about trying to talk him out of anything, would he?
"Hah? Why can't they just believe that I can get this job done?"
Watching Motohide walk away, Setsuna let out a cold laugh, clearly displeased, then turned to Uchiha Kagami.
"Ah..."
Kagami pursed his lips before finally saying,
"If it's you, Setsuna-sama, I'm sure you can do it. And if you ever need my help, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Hmm."
Satisfied with the response, Setsuna nodded, put his hands behind his back, and strolled away from the Naka Shrine.
…
"Tobirama-sama, you seem to have something on your mind today?"
Orochimaru set down the test tube in his hand, took one last look at the human body inside the cultivation tank, then walked over to Senju Tobirama.
As he slowly removed his white gloves, he spoke to Tobirama.
Hearing this, Hiruko also paused what he was doing and looked toward Tobirama.
"Uchiha Madara is here."
Tobirama pressed his lips together, a trace of concern flashing through his eyes.
Some things had already slipped beyond his control.
At any moment, everything could spiral into chaos.
And yet, he had no way to stop it.
Madara was from the Uchiha clan.
Raijin was also from the Uchiha clan.
At some point, the Senju clan had completely lost its competitive edge.
Orochimaru stayed silent, pressing his lips together.
He knew exactly what Tobirama was worried about.
But he also knew that Tobirama wasn't looking for comfort.
For the Second Hokage, words were meaningless.
The only thing he trusted was power—power that he could completely control.
Unfortunately, right now, there was no way for anyone in the Senju clan to stand against Madara or Raijin.
Even Tsunade, the strongest among them, couldn't do it.
Orochimaru slowly turned and looked at the figure inside the cultivation tank.
It was a man.
A man everyone in Konoha knew.
A man whose face was carved into the Hokage Rock.
—
"With Uchiha Madara back, I don't even feel safe sleeping at night."
Tsunade sat beside Raijin, looking a little annoyed.
As the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, she felt that if Uchiha Madara really had any plans, Senju Tobirama would probably be the first to die.
And she would be the second.
"Just relax and rest. I'm here."
Raijin chuckled and shook his head at her words, but his eyes turned serious.
From the moment Uchiha Madara stepped into Konohagakure, Raijin had activated his Mind Net, keeping a constant watch on Madara's movements.
And sure enough, it paid off.
According to the feedback from Mind Net, Raijin sensed an old acquaintance entering the place where Madara was staying.
Uchiha Setsuna...
Just as Tsunade was about to say something, she noticed Raijin's serious expression.
After thinking for a moment, she chose to stay silent.
She knew this look all too well.
This was the state Raijin only entered when he was on a mission...
…
"Setsuna?"
Uchiha Madara's voice rang out, followed by the sound of a door opening.
Uchiha Setsuna looked at Madara and respectfully bowed.
"Uchiha Setsuna greets Uchiha Madara-sama."
"No need for formalities. Come in."
Madara smiled slightly, removed his hand from the door, and turned to walk inside.
"Have a seat. I just got back, so I don't have much to offer. I hope you don't mind."
Madara knelt by the tea table and gestured for Setsuna to sit.
The fact that Setsuna had come to see him made Madara feel a bit pleased.
After all, for the Uchiha, it was rare to find someone who could overlook the two things he had done and still be willing to face him.
"You must be joking, sir. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. Now that you've returned to the Uchiha, if there's anything you need, just let me know. I will do everything I can to help."
Setsuna spoke quickly, his tone filled with admiration, respect, and conflict—but not fear.
That was the most honest reflection of what he felt at the moment.
He wasn't afraid that angering Madara might put him in danger.
And it wasn't because he believed someone would protect him.
It was simply that… if Madara wanted him dead, he wouldn't resist.
Because, as Setsuna had said, without Madara, he wouldn't be here today.
Without Madara, he would have died long ago in a battle with the Senju clan.
"有心了.".
宇智波斑看着眼前的宇智波刹那,轻笑摇头.
~~
"Madara-sama… I came here today to persuade you to give up on the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan."
After Madara spoke, Setsuna also smiled but quickly got to the point.
"I see… tell me why."
Madara paused for a moment after hearing Setsuna's words.
He wasn't angry. He didn't rush to argue.
The fact that Setsuna came to him made him happy.
Though the reason for his visit was disappointing, Madara was still willing to give him a chance.
A chance to explain his reasons.
If possible, Madara preferred to convince Setsuna through words.
"I believe the Infinite Tsukuyomi is, at its core, a form of slavery—enslaving the entire ninja world. Putting aside whether slavery is right or wrong, I know one thing: where there is oppression, there will always be resistance."
Setsuna looked straight at Madara as he spoke.
This wasn't just an opinion shared by the Uchiha. It was a belief held by all of Konoha.
Because in this plan, they were the ones being enslaved.
"If you go through with the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the entire ninja world will fight back against you."
After a brief pause, Setsuna added.
…
"I originally thought Setsuna was going to side with Madara, but I didn't expect him to actually try and convince Madara to abandon the plan."
Raijin chuckled as he spoke.
"I hope he succeeds."
Tsunade's eyes flickered slightly as she responded.
"I hope he succeeds."
Raijin simply repeated the words without much emotion as he continued to listen for any sounds coming from Madara's side.
…
"You're right. The Infinite Tsukuyomi will be opposed by the entire ninja world. But to achieve everlasting peace, this step is necessary."
Madara looked at Setsuna as he spoke.
"Can oppression really bring peace?"
Setsuna frowned, clearly unable to understand Madara's reasoning.
"Why does war exist? Because people have desires. Greed is part of human nature. Hashirama tried to suppress it with kindness, but that approach failed.
Since that's the case, why not take a stronger approach to forcefully suppress those desires?"
Instead of answering Setsuna's question, Madara threw one back at him.
"But isn't there peace right now?"
Setsuna asked in return.
"The reason we have peace now is because Konoha is strong. But what if one day, Konoha is no longer strong?"
"Or rather, what if one day, Uchiha Raijin is no longer strong?"
Madara spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"I don't think anyone in the ninja world right now can catch up to Raijin… Of course, you're an exception."
Setsuna hesitated for a moment before replying.
"You're talking about those small countries, right?"
Madara chuckled, already understanding what Setsuna meant.
"That's right."
Setsuna nodded. Aside from those small countries, was there really any other force left in the ninja world?
As for Jigen…
They just hadn't found him yet.
Setsuna was certain that in the future, large-scale ninja wars would no longer happen.
"Don't you know that powerful villages usually collapse from the inside?"
Madara raised an eyebrow, then continued without waiting for Setsuna to respond.
"Would you ever hold back from your students? Would you ever hold back from your comrades, the ones who fought alongside you?"
As he spoke, his gaze grew heavy.
"Can you guarantee that none of them would betray you for power?"
Betrayal…
Every time Madara thought of that word, he felt a dull ache in his chest and a cold chill down his spine.
Back at the Valley of the End, he had considered the possibility of losing to Hashirama and dying at his hands.
He had also imagined defeating Hashirama, standing over him, declaring his dream with pride.
But what he never expected… was to be stabbed in the back by Hashirama.
That blade didn't just pierce his body—it pierced his heart.
"But…"
Setsuna pressed his lips together, searching for a counterargument.
But Madara didn't give him the chance.
"But what? But you're ahead of the others, so how could they possibly surpass you?"
Madara let out a cold laugh and looked straight at Setsuna.
"Do geniuses care about reason? Before Raijin showed his full strength, did any of you know how powerful he was?"
"Before Hashirama showed his full strength, did Senju Buddha know how powerful his son was?"
"Or are you saying that before I revealed my full strength, my father, Uchiha Tajima, knew how powerful I was?"
"You're right..."
Uchiha Setsuna sighed weakly. Honestly, now, Uchiha Setsuna felt that what Uchiha Madara said... actually made some sense...
"Everyone, no matter who they are, always hides part of their own power. Because in this world, only power can bring a sense of security."
Uchiha Madara's voice was soft, slow, like the whisper of a demon, tempting the mortal in front of him.
"It's only when they have to fight with everything they've got that the people around them suddenly realize... they've become so strong without even realizing it."
"After being an elder for so many years, don't you know this already? As a leader, sometimes you have to make choices. But when you make those choices, could they hurt others? Will others hold a grudge against you for it?"
"When the seed of hatred takes root and grows in someone's heart, your life will soon be over, isn't that right?"
Madara smiled at Uchiha Setsuna in front of him.
After all these years, still so immature.
"And strength, it's constantly changing. For a real genius, what does your current achievement even mean?"
Uchiha Madara didn't know when he stood up and walked over to Uchiha Setsuna's side. He bent down, lowered his head, and whispered into Uchiha Setsuna's ear.
(End of this chapter)
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