The tension between Hashirama and Madara filled the room like a storm waiting to break, each man unshaken in his conviction.
Neither was going to back down.
Even though Kai and the events of the future had shattered Hashirama's dream of a perfect world, the pieces still shimmered with hope. Somewhere inside, he hadn't stopped believing in a future shaped by trust and unity.
Eventually, the conversation tapered off, both men tacitly dropping the argument. This ideological clash wouldn't be solved tonight—and besides, there were more pressing issues.
"Madara," Hashirama said at last, "do you believe what I've told you?"
Madara's lips curled in skepticism. "..."
You mean believe that he'd one day be killed—by Hashirama himself?
Not a chance.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no way he'd go down like that. Unless...
Unless it was staged?
Unless he let himself lose... faked his death... vanished into the shadows to pursue something greater? Like the union of yin and yang chakra?
Madara, brilliant and strategic, was already constructing theories. Could his future self have chosen exile for some higher goal? He couldn't confirm it yet—but it sounded like something he might do.
"I don't believe those stories," he finally said, "but I believe you."
"Madara!" Hashirama's voice surged with hope. He'd known it—Madara still had that core of loyalty. Maybe... just maybe... there was still a path forward.
He bit back a wave of guilt. If only he hadn't buried himself in Hokage duties. If he'd just sat down and talked to Madara honestly, so much tragedy could have been avoided.
"So you'll take up the mantle of Second Hokage?"
Madara frowned. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I never agreed to that."
"Madara, listen. I have no one else I can trust with this. You promised Izuna, didn't you? You said you'd protect the Uchiha. If you leave... are you really going to leave them in Tobirama's hands?"
That hit harder than expected.
Madara's expression froze.
Damn it. Hashirama had learned how to twist the knife. He was using guilt like a kunai.
Still... the bastard had a point.
He might not care what happens to himself, but he couldn't ignore the Uchiha's future. He had sworn something to Izuna. That meant everything.
Finally, he exhaled sharply.
"For now... I'll stay. I won't leave the village."
Hashirama's face lit up like sunlight breaking through clouds. "Good! That's all I needed to hear. I'll handle the Daimyō and the clans. You just focus on preparing."
Madara folded his arms. "They won't just agree to let me become Hokage. I'm not exactly their favorite person."
"I'll make them agree," Hashirama said confidently. "Even if I have to talk until they're too tired to argue."
Madara scoffed but couldn't hide a grin. Hashirama's relentless optimism hadn't changed.
With Madara staying, the tide was turning. Maybe—just maybe—the First Great Ninja War could be avoided entirely. Things were finally starting to shift in a better direction.
Later, Madara leaned forward, curiosity darkening his eyes.
"By the way… where's that guy—Kai. The one who called himself a 'wandering god'? I want to meet him."
Hashirama shook his head. "He might still be in another timeline. It's hard to say. But he said he'd return to speak with me again—you'll see him then."
Madara frowned. Not being able to verify the man in person made him uneasy.
"He really had the Rinnegan?"
"Yes," Hashirama said firmly. "It looked exactly like the Rinnegan. And what's more... I couldn't sense even a flicker of chakra from him. It was like he was cloaked by some legendary dōjutsu."
Madara went still. That alone spoke volumes. Hashirama had one of the sharpest chakra perceptions in the shinobi world. For someone to completely mask themselves from him...
"That kind of concealment… not even a member of the Uchiha could pull that off casually."
"Exactly," Hashirama nodded. "Even if it was an illusion, he would've needed some chakra. But I couldn't sense anything."
Madara leaned back, eyes narrowed. "So what's his angle?"
"I honestly don't know. But I didn't feel any hostility from him."
Madara's tone cooled. "There's no such thing as kindness without a reason."
"I agree. But it doesn't make sense to treat a god-level visitor like an enemy without cause either."
"Tch. Fine. I won't make a move unless he does something suspicious. But don't expect me to trust him blindly."
Hashirama smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
"So," Madara said, "what's your next move?"
Hashirama stood up and started pacing. "Tomorrow, I'll gather all the clan heads and propose the formal transition. We'll define the legal basis for you to become the Second Hokage."
Madara arched a brow. "That fast?"
"This future changed everything, Madara. I can't waste time anymore. If I delay, we risk slipping back into the old path."
Madara silently agreed. Convincing the clans wouldn't be easy—but if Hashirama was determined, few could stand in his way.
"And after that?"
"We capture the Tailed Beasts," Hashirama said calmly.
Madara stared. "You're still planning that whole 'Tailed Beast Deterrence' idea?"
"I'm not committed to that system anymore. But leaving them wild is too dangerous. Just one Tailed Beast Ball could wipe out an entire village."
Madara smirked. "Fair enough. A little exercise would do me good. And it's not like I hate traveling with you."
Hashirama chuckled. "Oh, there's one more thing."
"Hmm?"
"We need to find a wife for Tobirama. Quickly."
That caught Madara completely off guard. "What?"
"You heard me," Hashirama said, dead serious. "He's always been distant, closed off. But he needs love. That might change the future more than any jutsu."
Madara blinked, then laughed. "You're serious. You want me to marry off one of the Uchiha to Tobirama?"
"You've got strong female shinobi in your clan, right?"
"Even if I did, there's no way that stiff-necked bastard would go along with it."
"He doesn't have to agree. Worst case... we get him drunk."
Madara gave him a horrified look. "Hashirama. You've changed."
He grinned. "It's for the future of the village!"
The two of them talked deep into the night. Stories, plans, grievances—nothing was left untouched.
Eventually, Hashirama left, reluctantly. If he didn't head back soon, Mito would probably have him sleeping on the floor again.
Of course, staying over with Madara would've been nice. But not tonight. Tobirama was bound to have a dozen questions waiting back home.
After Hashirama was gone, Madara sat alone in the silent room.
He replayed everything in his mind. Kai. The future. The offer to become Hokage.
It was a lot.
The entire course of his destiny had been uprooted, his goals suddenly irrelevant. The ancient Uchiha stone tablet... its prophecies... its warnings... all seemed like echoes of a path he no longer needed to follow.
At least for now, he'd stay. He'd see where this went.
If becoming Hokage was the price to protect his clan, so be it.
And as for Hashirama's absurd matchmaking plan—well, he did have a few nieces. If it meant Tobirama calling him "Uncle Madara," he might actually allow it.
The grin that crept across his face was downright wicked.
Yes.
That would be more satisfying than killing Tobirama.
Let him try to complain. It was Hashirama's idea, after all.
But before he could sink too deep into his amusement, a voice echoed in the room.
"Uchiha Madara. What are you grinning about?"
Madara shot up instantly, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flaring.
A figure stood there, cloaked in mystery.
His eyes glowed with a haunting ripple—the Rinnegan.
"So," Madara said coldly, "you're the one they call Kai, the wandering god."