Chapter 77 (combined with a bonus chapter)...
—Yan Sheng did try more efficient methods.
Just now, when he subdued Madara in the study, the moment the two faced off at close range, he had secretly activated his eye power, attempting to transmit the information packet directly into Madara's mind through eye contact. This was far faster, more detailed, and more irrefutable than verbal communication.
However, he failed.
Madara's eyes were indeed at their limit. Although he was "staring" at Yan Sheng, his focus was scattered, based on a rough location of the sound source and his chakra perception; his gaze was not actually meeting Yan Sheng's eyes.
Since this path was blocked, Yan Sheng stopped pressuring it. He chose to let the facts speak for themselves: he handed the scroll containing Black Zetsu's true form directly to Madara.
Of course, there are two possible outcomes. One is that Madara goes from disbelief to skepticism, and the other is that Madara directly labels him as an accomplice of Black Zetsu.
After all, honey traps are not uncommon; even if Ban hadn't seen one in person, he had heard of them.
***
Izuna leaned against the tatami mat, his pale face filled with deep sorrow as he pondered how to persuade his brother to accept the eye transplant.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and the familiar chakra scent made him immediately know that his brother had arrived.
He turned his head, about to force a reassuring smile on his face, when he suddenly froze.
Behind the older brother was another person, someone who looked remarkably like his brother.
However, the person was taller and more slender than his brother, with long, dark hair tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. His facial features were almost identical to his brother's, but his temperament was colder and more reserved, like a cold blade that had concealed all its sharpness.
Who is this?
Izuna froze, his eyes almost overflowing with doubt. He subconsciously looked at Madara, questioning the stranger's origins with his eyes.
However, due to his vision problems, Ban did not receive his brother's gaze; his attention was more focused on explaining the current urgent situation.
He walked to Izuna's bedside and, in a deep voice, briefly recounted what Yan Sheng had just told him about the existence of Black Zetsu and how its possessed attendant had just come to tempt him.
As Izuna listened, his expression gradually turned ugly.
He recalled the unusual words and actions of the attendant and the (false) news about his brother hitting a pillar, and he was already seven or eight parts convinced. A mixture of fear and anger welled up inside him.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he glanced at Yan Sheng standing quietly to the side, he swallowed his words back.
The most urgent task is to find out the identity of this mysterious person.
He looked at Yan Sheng, his tone weak from the injury, yet still retaining the composure of the Uchiha's second-in-command: "Brother, who is this?"
Ban paused for a moment before replying, "It was he who came to remind me about Black Zetsu." He considered how to introduce Yan Sheng, since even he himself was not clear about the other party's background.
Izuna's doubts deepened, and he pressed on, "I mean, what is his identity...?"
As Izuna asked the question, several thoughts flashed through his mind: children whose parents have been separated from their children?
Impossible. My parents have a very close relationship, and if they had brothers, they would definitely know.
Was it a distant relative? That's possible; the Uchiha clan is vast.
Or maybe it's just a matter of looking alike? The world is a strange place...
Perhaps because Madara was nearby and didn't seem to have any hostility towards him, Izuna wasn't as wary. His gaze, involuntarily and with a hint of inquiry, met Yan Sheng's deep, calm eyes.
He was still thinking, "This guy is a head taller than Brother Ban," when, in the next second, an unimaginably vast power of vision, like a surging tide, instantly engulfed him. His consciousness was forcibly pulled into an illusionary space dominated by the other party.
Oh no! Alarm bells rang in Izuna's mind; his first thought was that he had fallen into a trap.
The second reaction was disbelief and shock—he was a kaleidoscope, how could he have been so utterly defeated without even the slightest resistance in a direct contest of pupil power?
Immediately afterward, before he could react further, a massive, complex yet clearly organized torrent of information surged into his brain like a rushing river: that this strange man was their brother from another world; that the Eye of the Moon Project was a thousand-year-old deception woven by Black Zetsu to resurrect Kaguya Otsutsuki; that Madara Uchiha and even his brothers were merely pawns being used...
All of this happened in just one second in the real world.
Izuna's reaction and acceptance abilities are extremely quick, and Madara is currently slightly distracted because he is considering how to explain Yan Sheng's identity, so his attention is not entirely focused on the brief, almost negligible, eye contact between his younger brother and Yan Sheng.
Thus, Ban missed the best opportunity to notice the abnormality.
However, it's okay if you miss it.
Because the moment Izuna broke free from the illusion and his consciousness returned, he understood that this information was crucial, and he would definitely tell Madara without reservation.
Yan Sheng had originally intended to tell (transmit) the message to Ban, but he failed.
Izuna's eyes quickly regained their clarity after a moment of confusion, but deep within them, a storm was brewing.
He gave Yan Sheng, who remained calm and composed, a deep look, then turned to Madara, who was casting an inquiring glance at him due to the subtle fluctuations in chakra. He took a deep breath and spoke in as steady a tone as possible:
“Brother, regarding this… ‘guest’s’ origins and the news he brought, I think… we need to have a good talk.”
Before Ban could answer, Yan Sheng's calm and even voice rang out again: "Let's talk together, so we can exchange information more easily."
That's so direct it's almost presumptuous.
But Yen Sheng really didn't want to waste time.
He secretly calculated that after completing the mission in this world, he would have accumulated enough merit points. The thought of soon repaying what he owed Yoriichi completely made the heavy weight in his heart finally loosen and be moved. An unprecedented sense of urgency drove him, making him unwilling to waste a single moment on any unnecessary steps.
Ban frowned, his face revealing undisguised intense displeasure.
This guy of unknown origin not only trespassed on our territory and spoke rudely, but now he even wants to dominate the conversation? He was about to coldly rebuke him—
“That works too.” Izuna spoke first, leaning against the pillow. Although his face was pale, his eyes were unusually clear and calm. “Indeed, with you here, it will be easier and more accurate to exchange information.”
spot:"?"
He turned to look at his younger brother, almost suspecting that his hearing problems were caused by his vision issues.
What is Izuna talking about? What kind of convenience is this? Is he too badly injured and confused?
The conversation was ultimately decided to take place in Izuna's room. Since all three of them were already there, there was no need to move.
Ban stood by the bed with his arms crossed and a gloomy expression, scrutinizing the two men and listening to what they might say—he assumed it would at most be supplementary information about the "Black Zetsu" and his conspiracy.
However, as Izuna and Miku Katsu talked back and forth, Madara gradually realized that something was wrong.
The topics they discussed went far beyond the scope of "Black Zetsu".
Words like "The Eye of the Moon Project is a scam," "Kaguya Otsutsuki," and "another world" flooded his ears like gibberish, each one assaulting the limits of his understanding.
What annoyed Madara even more was that the tone of their conversation suggested they shared some vast secret background that he was completely unaware of, while he, the Uchiha clan leader and Izuna's older brother, was completely excluded and listened to their cryptic conversation like an outsider.
As their conversation continued, Madara slowly lowered his arms, and the displeasure on his face gradually gave way to seriousness. He finally realized the gravity of the situation.
Just as Izuna and Mikukatsu seemed to have reached some kind of consensus on key information, and the conversation temporarily came to an end, Madara spoke in a low voice:
"Are you finished talking?" He turned to his brother and Yan Sheng, his vision blurred, but the oppressive aura of a powerful figure still emanated from him. "Is there anything you need to explain to me?"
Izuna paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Michikatsu, his eyes conveying a clear question: You didn't tell your brother?
Yan Sheng met his gaze, his tone remaining flat as he stated an objective fact: "I tried. Unfortunately, his eyesight is completely inadequate."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Izuna's excitement at learning about part of the future.
Yes... but what good is knowing the future and the crises? If we can't solve the pressing problem of my brother's blindness, isn't everything just empty talk?
A profound sense of powerlessness gripped him once again.
However, Yan Sheng's next words brought a glimmer of hope to the matter:
“There’s no need to be so pessimistic.” He looked at Madara, then at Izuna. “In my world, Madara’s eyes have always been healthy.”
Izuna suddenly raised his head, a spark of hope rekindling in his eyes: "How did you do that?"
After a moment's thought, Yan Sheng offered a conjecture: "It might be related to the fact that he spent a long time with Hashirama Senju. Hashirama Senju's chakra may have been nourishing his eyes without him even realizing it, or perhaps they have already been healed."
Consider their relationship. If Madara were to feel even slightly uncomfortable, would Hashirama Senju stand idly by? They were, after all, the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura, their chakra natures being yin and yang, complementing each other. The union of yin and yang achieved balance, naturally eliminating any problems.
Izuna's focus was a bit off; he astutely seized on another key point: "Your brother in that world had a close relationship with Hashirama Senju?"
"Yes." Yan Sheng gave an affirmative answer.
Izuna gritted his teeth inwardly, a nameless rage rising within him. Damn it, Hashirama Senju! Why are you everywhere?
He suppressed his annoyance and pressed on, "Then... can't someone else do it? Does it have to be Hashirama Senju?"
“It’s different.” Yan Sheng shook his head. “Their relationship goes back to their past lives.”
He saw that Izuna still looked confused and puzzled, while Madara's face was getting darker and darker, clearly his patience was about to run out.
Yan Sheng was too lazy to waste words explaining the entangled destiny and chakra characteristics of Indra and Ashura over thousands of years. He directly used his eye power to send a compressed information package containing relevant basic information (mainly about Indra and Ashura being the sons of the Sage of Six Paths, the generational struggle of chakra reincarnation, and Madara and Hashirama being the reincarnations of this generation) to Izuna.
After receiving the information, Izuna's expression instantly became extremely interesting. He unconsciously gripped the blanket tightly and almost lost his composure on the spot, asking a question that seemed to be a breakdown—his brother was actually the same brother as that Thousand Hands bastard in his past life.
Meanwhile, Ban, who had been enduring for a long time, listening to them say things he couldn't understand at all, and even flirting with them right in front of him, finally couldn't take it anymore.
"So, you really aren't going to explain anything to me?"
Izuna snapped out of his daze, took a deep breath, suppressed the complex emotions surging within him upon learning of their "past life as brothers," and solemnly said to Madara:
“Brother, look into my eyes, and I will pass on the information I know to you.”
Although Madara was still displeased, his trust in his younger brother made him concentrate and try to focus his blurry vision in Izuna's direction.
The two brothers' Mangekyou Sharingan were connected through an invisible ocular power, and a massive amount of information—from Black Zetsu's conspiracy, the Eye of the Moon deception, Kaguya Otsutsuki, to Miku's self-proclaimed identity as a "visitor from another world," and information such as Madara and Hashirama being the reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons—flooded into Madara's mind like a torrent.
After the information was transmitted, Ban fell silent, his expression becoming very strange.
He was processing this massive amount of information that was enough to overturn his entire understanding of life. Finally, his "gaze," filled with disbelief and inquiry, turned toward the general direction where Yan Sheng was.
"You..." Ban's voice held a hint of hesitation, "You're our youngest brother? When was your mother born?" This news was a huge shock to him; he had never imagined he would have a younger brother, even in another world.
Yan Sheng's answer was concise and clear: "I'm ten years younger than you."
Ten years...that's a pretty big age difference.
His mother died before he was even ten years old... It seems that mothers in other worlds did not die young like his mother.
A complex and indescribable emotion welled up in Ban's heart.
Ban hesitated for a moment, but finally asked, his voice lower than before: "Mother... is she alright?"
Yen Sheng's answer remained calm: "He passed away 10 years ago."
Ban's heart sank slightly, and a strange sense of loss welled up inside her, even though that was her mother from another world.
He said wistfully, "Ah... I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize." Yan Sheng's tone was completely calm as he said, "My kaleidoscope ability allows me to see souls. My mother stayed by my side for another 10 years before she passed away. However, she has been reincarnated, which is a good thing."
"You can see souls?!" Madara and Izuna exclaimed almost simultaneously. This news shocked them more than any other information they had heard before! To be able to see the boundary between life and death—what a bizarre and powerful ability!
Yan Sheng didn't seem to care, adding, "Souls rarely linger in the mortal world; Mother was an exception." He seemed unwilling to discuss the topic further, instead asking, "Do you have any other questions?"
Ban forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and shook his head: "No more for now." The amount of information was too much; he needed time to digest it.
Yan Sheng then turned his gaze to Izuna: "And you?"
Izuna had recovered considerably from his initial shock. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "How old are you now?"
“22,” Yan Sheng replied.
Izuna quickly did some mental calculations, his pupils shrinking slightly: "So, your timeline... is about 10 years in the future?"
"Yes." Yan Sheng nodded in confirmation.
Izuna took a deep breath and asked the question he both wanted to know and was somewhat reluctant to ask: "Then the Uchiha and Senju people of your world..."
“An alliance has been formed.” Yan Sheng gave the answer that Izuna had expected, yet it still made Yan Sheng’s heart sink.
"Heh." Izuna let out a cold laugh that was hard to decipher, carrying a hint of self-mockery and knowing certainty.
That's really... not surprising at all.
In stark contrast to Izuna, Madara's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the answer, a surge of indescribable emotion mixed with excitement and anticipation welling up within him.
Did they really form an alliance with Hashirama? Did that seemingly unattainable dream they made together by the Naka River actually come true in another world?
Izuna keenly caught his brother's emotional fluctuation at that moment; that undisguised joy pierced his heart like a needle.
He withdrew his gaze bitterly, lowered his eyes, and a dark thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind: If... if I had warned my brother before I died never to ally with Hashirama Senju... given my importance in my brother's heart, would he have given up that unrealistic dream?
This thought coiled around Izuna's heart like a venomous snake.
Izuna was well aware of his position in Madara's heart, which was the source of his confidence in using the "no meeting" rule to force his brother to accept the eye transplant.
So, using death as a final request should carry enough weight, right?
Yan Sheng seemed to see through his thoughts. To be more precise, in the worlds Yan Sheng had traveled to before, Uchiha Izuna had made similar choices.
He spoke in a calm yet judgmental tone:
"It's no use. The alliance between Madara and Hashirama Senju is an inevitable fact. Even if you use your death as a promise, it won't change the final outcome."
Izuna sighed.
As expected... it didn't work either.
He knew his importance in his brother's heart, which is why he believed the deathbed instructions were valid.
But if even this can't change the outcome of the alliance... then what about his sacrifice and his perseverance? Is the bond between his brother and Hashirama Senju really that deep?
A tremendous sense of powerlessness and a bone-chilling cold swept over Izuna's entire body.
He looked at his older brother, who was showing a hint of anticipation upon learning of the possible alliance, and then at his younger brother from another world who seemed to know everything and coldly proclaimed "destiny." For the first time, he felt a slight wavering in his long-held beliefs and a deeper struggle of resentment.
Yan Sheng's clear, cold voice rang out again, like an icy spring flowing across parched earth, carrying a strange, soothing power:
"Things aren't that bad."
Upon hearing this, Izuna looked up at Yan Sheng.
Yan Sheng calmly continued, "At least now that you know the future, you have the possibility of changing it."
He looked at Izuna and repeated a passage: "In my world, you once told me: 'Don't be afraid of something happening. Since it will eventually come, you can only prepare to face it. Any anxiety is meaningless.'"
Both Madara and Izuna were slightly taken aback when they heard these words.
Well... this sentence is very much in Izuna's style: calm, pragmatic, with a clear understanding of the world and the pride that belongs to the Uchiha.
Izuna closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly, clearly processing the words and sorting out his chaotic thoughts and intense emotions.
When he opened his eyes again, the struggle, resentment, and despair he had felt earlier had faded from his dark eyes, replaced by a calm composure and the sharp glint of a strategist.
He loosened the corner of the blanket that he had been clutching tightly in his emotional state, and the wrinkled fabric slowly smoothed out, reflecting the change in his mood.
“You’re right.” Izuna’s voice regained its usual composure, and carried a decisive strength. “Since forming an alliance with the Senju is the path that my brother is destined to take, and it is an inevitable ‘coming’ that cannot be stopped… then any resistance or anxiety is indeed meaningless.”
His gaze hardened: "What I need to do now is not to futilely try to change this outcome, but to prepare for it—to strive to secure the greatest possible benefit for the Uchiha clan!"
Madara then snapped out of his reverie about forming an alliance in the future.
To be honest, his feelings were also complicated. Forming an alliance with Hashirama to build a village was indeed a dream hidden deep in his heart, but in reality, facing pressure from the conservative faction within his clan, the blood feud with the Senju, and his own considerations, he was never able to truly make up his mind to push this matter forward.
At this moment, receiving confirmation from his younger brother in the other world that "the alliance has indeed taken place" undoubtedly gave him a strong boost of confidence.
He couldn't help but ask, with a tone of anticipation and confirmation, "After the alliance, did Hashirama and I... build a village?"
"Yes." Yan Sheng gave an affirmative answer and provided more details, "Your village is called Konoha. It has become the largest and strongest ninja village in the entire ninja world, and has a significant voice throughout the world. Any country or daimyo needs to consider Konoha's attitude when making decisions involving the ninja world."
Upon hearing this, Ban's emotions surged instantly.
Konoha... the village he and Hashirama had dreamed of had truly been built! And it had reached such a magnificent height! This was far better than the best outcome he had ever imagined. An indescribable sense of pride and accomplishment surged within him, even seemingly dispelling some of the gloom brought on by his deteriorating eyesight.
Izuna listened from the side, also falling into thought.
If the village established after the alliance can truly reach the level of being "the largest in the entire ninja world," "having a voice," and making all the major powers "think twice" about it... then the status, resources, and influence that the Uchiha clan can obtain within it will probably be far greater than what they currently achieve by living in a remote corner and engaging in bloody struggles with other clans.
From the perspective of the family's long-term interests, this is indeed a more promising path.
Yan Sheng made no mention of the fact that a large part of the reason why various countries had to think twice about Konoha was because of him, this "outlier".
However, what Yan Sheng said was not unfounded.
In most normally developing timelines, the crucial foundation for Konoha's initial establishment and rapid growth was the absolute military might of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, which was akin to nuclear weapons.
It can be said that as long as these two people don't die, and as long as their strength and will are strong enough, Konoha may have difficulty moving horizontally in the ninja world, but it will definitely be able to move diagonally.
Looking at all these worlds, the reason why Konoha later encountered such a mess of troubles ultimately stemmed from the two founders themselves:
One left behind endless troubles, while the other confirmed those troubles.
How can the two of them not be considered to be 'mutually committed' in some sense?
Of course, Yan Sheng would not say these words aloud.
His mission was simply to prevent Izuna's death and change this crucial turning point. As for where the Uchiha clan and Konoha would go in the future, that would depend on what choices Madara and Izuna would make after learning part of the "script."
***
Hashirama Senju has been in a bad mood lately, and he is very worried. Ever since his younger brother severely injured Izuna Uchiha on the last battlefield, he has been in a state of high worry and anxiety.
From a purely family standpoint and in terms of interests, he should be relieved, and even pray that Uchiha Izuna would succumb to his injuries. After all, Uchiha Izuna was the core combatant and strategist of the Uchiha clan; his death would greatly weaken the Uchiha's power, which would be entirely beneficial to the Senju clan.
However, this is merely a cold, detached family stance.
From Hashirama Senju's personal perspective, and as Madara's close friend, he absolutely did not want such a thing to happen.
Even a fool could guess the depth of Madara's grief and rage if Izuna were truly dead. Madara's attitude towards the Senju clan would inevitably deteriorate beyond repair, and he would likely harbor resentment towards his friend as well.
So Hashirama was really anxious. During this time, he would send messages of inquiry and concern to Madara every day through the channels they had secretly agreed upon.
However, for eight consecutive days, there was no news at all.
Madara's silence fueled Hashirama's growing unease. A host of unsettling speculations swirled in his mind: Had Izuna's injuries worsened? Was Madara exhausted by his brother's serious injury and his eye problem? Or had something happened within the Uchiha clan because of this?
By the ninth day, Hashirama could no longer sit still. He secretly resolved that if Madara did not reply by then, he would risk everything to sneak into the Uchiha clan's territory that night to find out what was going on.
Fortunately, just as he was pacing back and forth in the room like an ant on a hot plate, about to wear through the floor, a faint meow came from outside the window.
Hashirama turned his head sharply and saw the familiar Black Cloud Snow Cat gracefully leap in through the window, landing elegantly on the table, its emerald green eyes gazing at him.
Hashirama's eyes lit up instantly. He rushed forward and carefully took out the long-awaited note from the small letterbox hanging under the cat's neck.
I eagerly unfolded it, and there were only three simple words on it:
[At the hour of 5 PM, on the Nanga River]
......
At seven o'clock in the evening, it was completely dark. The water of the Nanga River was gurgling, and the moonlight was hazy.
Hashirama Senju arrived at their usual meeting place right on time. From afar, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing on the riverbank.
What's familiar is the Uchiha attire and general outline, what's unfamiliar is... the feeling.
However, Hashirama didn't think too much about it. He was about to shout "Madara!" as usual when the sound suddenly got stuck in his throat.
No! At first glance, this person looks remarkably similar to Madara, but upon closer inspection, they are completely different. His figure is more slender and upright, and his temperament is colder and more reserved, like a deep pool that has contained all light.
Who is it?
Hashirama instantly became wary. But he didn't doubt that this was a trap set by Madara; knowing Madara as he did, Madara would never use such a method to harm him.
Just as he was on guard, the stranger turned around, looked at him calmly, and said, "Chief Senju, Madara and Izuna are busy right now, so they sent me to pick you up. Come with me."
Hashirama didn't move immediately. Instead, he carefully examined the other person and asked, "Who are you?"
The man retorted, "Does it matter who I am?"
Hashirama paused for a moment, scratched his smooth black hair, and actually felt that what the other person said made some sense.
That's true.
He nodded and said with a simple smile, "Hmm...you're right."
After that, Hashirama followed this mysterious stranger who resembled Madara silently all the way to the banks of the Naka River, to an ancient shrine belonging to the Uchiha clan.
The stranger skillfully activated the hidden mechanism and led him down the stone steps.
The underground was pitch black, with only the candlesticks placed at intervals on the walls casting a flickering, dim yellow light that barely illuminated the way ahead, adding to the mystery and solemnity.
As Hashirama followed Mikatsu deep into the underground space, he saw two people he cared about—
Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha stood side by side before a stone tablet covered with ancient characters. Both brothers had activated their Mangekyou Sharingan and were intently studying the inscriptions on the tablet.
Madara's deep voice echoed in the silent underground: "...Izuna, is what you see the same as what I see?"
Izuna's voice followed, tinged with coldness: "It's different."
Ban let out a cold snort that was hard to decipher: "Heh, as expected, it has been altered."
"Madara!" Upon hearing his friend's familiar voice, Hashirama could no longer contain himself and rushed over almost at full speed, his face filled with concern and relief.
Madara turned his head at the sound, his eyes, which were not far from the entire territory, looked at him, and said in a calm tone: "You've come, Hashirama."
Hashirama grunted in response, then looked at Izuna standing beside Madara. Seeing that Izuna's complexion was rosy and his breathing was steady, he didn't look like someone who had just recovered from a serious injury at all. He said with delight, "Izuna's here too! It seems that your injuries... are almost healed?"
His tone of genuine relief made him sound like a member of the Uchiha clan.
Izuna looked at his brother, the "culprit," speechless for a moment. He wanted to retort, "What's it to you?" but when he glanced at his brother and thought of the information Yan Sheng had revealed earlier and the "destiny" of the future, he swallowed his anger and simply gave a cold "hmm" in response.
—Izuna's injuries were naturally healed by Yan Sheng.
With his Rinnegan's partial ability to access the time realm, he couldn't reverse years of time, but it wasn't difficult to rewind Izuna's physical condition to a few days ago, before he was injured.
Therefore, Izuna's injuries can be described as "healing without treatment," and he returned to his peak condition.
"Hashirama, there's something I'd like to ask you. You can agree, or you can refuse."
Izuna exclaimed in shock, "Brother?!"
He never expected his brother to make this request to Hashirama Senju so directly, which was tantamount to exposing his greatest weakness to the clan leader of their sworn enemy.
Upon hearing this, Hashirama Senju's usual carefree, slightly goofy smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. He asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"
For Madara to ask for something in such a serious tone, it must be no small matter.
Ban didn't shy away from the question and directly stated his predicament: "I hope you can heal my eyes. I'm going blind."
Hashirama: "......"
He had thought it was some earth-shattering secret or harsh condition involving the life and death of two races, but it turned out to be just about treating an illness.
He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but was then replaced by a deeper worry: "Have your eyes gotten this bad? But... Madara, my medical ninjutsu isn't top-notch, and I don't even know how to treat blindness caused by the Mangekyou Sharingan."
His tone was full of genuine distress; he truly wanted to help, but feared that his own abilities were insufficient and that he might end up harming his friend instead.
Madara seemed to have anticipated his reaction and offered a method that was surprisingly simple: "Try channeling your chakra into my eyes."
"This..." Hashirama's eyes widened, his face filled with disapproval and worry. "Isn't this too dangerous? Chakra directly invading the meridians of the eyes, if we're not careful, the consequences could be unimaginable."
He suspected that Ban might be desperately seeking treatment because he was on the verge of blindness.
Izuna, who wanted to interject but couldn't get a word in edgewise, exclaimed: "Wait! You two! Such an important and dangerous matter, decided in just a few words? My brother's habit of doing things his own way is one thing! But Hashirama Senju, how could you—you should at least ask a few more questions! Where's your vigilance? Where's your clan leader's stance? You trust your brother that much?!"
Yan Sheng stood quietly to the side, watching the scene indifferently, his heart unmoved.
Regardless of which world Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha are from, as long as the latter doesn't act crazy, the former's standards for the latter are outrageously low.
At this point, it's just treating the eyes. In Hashirama Senju's view, as long as it can help Madara, taking some risks is nothing.
Even if Madara Uchiha were to ask Hashirama Senju to help him conquer the world, Yan Sheng would have no doubt that as long as Madara could give a seemingly reasonable reason, Hashirama Senju would most likely agree after some internal struggle.
In the previous world, Madara Uchiha, who chose the "pragmatic" path and unified the world, had a powerful ally, Hashirama Senju, by his side.
While Hashirama was still hesitating about the risks, Madara was already getting impatient. He took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Hashirama. His Mangekyou Sharingan, which appeared somewhat empty due to blurred vision, stared directly at Hashirama: "Hashirama, trust me, and trust yourself."
Seeing the familiar, unwavering determination in his friend's eyes, Hashirama's last trace of hesitation subsided. He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming serious: "Alright! Madara, I'll give it a try. If you feel unwell, be sure to tell me."
He raised his hand, his fingertips swirling with the vibrant and energetic Yang Release chakra of Ashura's reincarnation, and carefully, slowly approached Madara's tightly closed eyes.
Meanwhile, on the ground and above the Namakawa Shrine.
Without warning, ripples spread across the space like waves. A figure appeared out of thin air, silently hovering in the air.
This person had an extremely peculiar appearance: his skin was as pale as paper soaked in water, devoid of any color; his gray-blue hair reached his waist; and he wore a spotless white robe embroidered with black patterns resembling magatama. His entire image exuded an aura of coldness.
—A very typical appearance of the Otsutsuki clan.
This person is named Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki, and his ability is to travel through time and space.
He does not belong to this era. He comes from a hundred years in the future.
A century later, the Otsutsuki clan discovers that the Kaguya group (Kaguya Otsutsuki and Isshiki Otsutsuki) sent to Earth has failed to deliver the fruit of the Divine Tree and has disappeared without a trace.
Therefore, the main clan dispatched Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki, Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki, and Urashiki Ōtsutsuki to Earth to investigate Kaguya's whereabouts and retrieve the fruit.
However, the three of them suffered a humiliating fate on Earth: not only did they fail to find Kaguya, but they were also beaten badly by the planet's "natives" and fled in a sorry state.
In fact, they were in grave danger at the time and almost lost their lives there.
When the news reached the Otsutsuki main family, the higher-ups were furious. On the one hand, they dispatched more people to encircle and suppress them, and on the other hand, they expressed utmost contempt for the incompetence of Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and Urashiki, believing that they could not even defeat "lower life forms" and were a disgrace to the Otsutsuki.
Soon after, something happened that left the Otsutsuki clan dumbfounded.
Those sent later personally experienced why the first three colleagues had suffered such a miserable defeat—those "lowly natives" somehow possessed power sufficient to confront or even crush the Otsutsuki.
Even though they have a thin flow of Otsutsuki blood, the concentration of that bloodline is so low that many of them don't even have the Rinnegan! This is completely illogical!
Is that right?
After repeated setbacks and heavy losses in their frontal assaults, the Otsutsuki clan finally changed their strategy. Since victory was not easily achieved at the present moment, they would use the power of time and space to nip the threat in the bud.
This is why Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki is here at this moment.
His mission was to perform "time erasure": to erase the two future sources of great threat to the Otsutsuki, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, from the past.
He hovered in the air, his cold and ruthless gaze scanning the Namaka River area below like a scanner, finally locking onto the shrine underground where a special chakra fluctuation was hidden.
"Found you." A cruel and indifferent smile curled at the corner of his lips as he raised his pale palm, where destructive energy began to gather.
A thick, dark purple beam of energy, like a dagger of judgment from beyond the heavens, moved silently yet with lightning speed, tearing through the air in an instant and striking the ground with pinpoint accuracy.
"boom--!"
A deafening explosion rang out, the earth trembled violently, and the shrine was instantly reduced to dust upon contact with the beam of light. The solid ground was easily pierced and torn apart, forming a huge crater. Soil and gravel were hurled into the air like a fountain, and thick smoke and dust instantly filled the air, obscuring the moonlight.
Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki coldly surveyed the scene of destruction below. He could clearly sense that although the powerful life forces deep underground had been impacted, they had not been annihilated.
He wasn't dead after all. He wasn't surprised.
If future threats could be so easily eliminated, there would be no need for him to go through the trouble of time travel. If they couldn't even withstand his attack, then these two wouldn't deserve to be obstacles to the Otsutsuki clan in the future.
The energy beam slowly dissipated, leaving behind only a shocking scar on the ground and drifting dust. However, the tremors of the ground did not stop; instead, they became even more violent, as if some enormous creature was about to burst forth from the earth.
The next second, amidst the billowing dust, countless massive, robust, and vibrant trees burst forth from the earth at an astonishing speed. They intertwined and tangled, instantly forming a small "forest," and in the very center of this forest, a huge, bud-like sphere made of the toughest wood stood out prominently.
The sphere slowly opened, like a blooming flower, revealing four figures within.
Just as the destructive energy was about to penetrate the earth and descend upon them, Hashirama Senju reacted swiftly. He clapped his hands together, unleashing a torrent of chakra from his body, and forcefully constructed this solid wooden fortress deep underground, protecting the four of them and withstanding the terrifying attack.
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Author's Note: Ōtsutsuki Keishi is a character I created myself, not from the original story. [Sprinkling emoji]
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