"Big brother, great-grandfather called us over this early, could it be he's assigning a new mission?"
Uchiha Izuna tilted his small face up, eyes sparkling as he looked at Uchiha Madara beside him.
Madara raised a hand and rubbed the corner of his eyes, still a little tired. Beneath his eyelids, the crimson Sharingan he had just awakened faintly showed.
He had already adapted to, and was even enjoying, the power brought by the Sharingan.
Madara gave a firm nod, his tone eager to try. "We just awakened the Sharingan, this is exactly the time for us to show what we can do in Konoha. Hopefully this mission won't be too weak."
The two brothers walked side by side, moving smoothly without any obstruction as they entered the Uchiha Elder Tower.
The Anbu stationed around recognized them. Without drawing attention, they simply activated their Byakugan, quickly scanning their bodies to check for transformation or genjutsu, then respectfully stepped aside and let them pass without any hindrance.
Pushing the door open and stepping into the elder's office, the originally relaxed atmosphere suddenly froze.
"Great-grandfather, good mor... hm?", Uchiha Madara casually greeted. Before he could finish, his gaze abruptly fixed inside the office, his brows lifting slightly in surprise.
"Who are these?"
Inside the room stood four boys of the same age, covered in dust, their clothes messy and disheveled. Their shabby appearance clashed sharply with the solemn office.
And Madara's gaze, almost instantly, locked firmly onto the black-haired boy at the front. That was Senju Hashirama.
A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart, as if it were fate. There was no intense hostility, instead it felt like some unseen thread had tightly bound the two boys together.
"Great-grandfather, who are they?"
Uchiha Izuna moved closer to Madara, looking at Uchiha Arisu seated at the main seat, confusion filling his eyes as he asked in a low voice.
Arisu sat upright and slowly spoke. "They are the four sons of the Senju clan leader."
"The sons of the Senju clan leader?!"
Madara and Izuna's pupils shrank at the same time. Their originally relaxed expressions froze instantly, shock flashing in their eyes.
It was only surprise, not hatred.
Because Uchiha Madara and Izuna had never fought the Senju since they were born.
And with Arisu actively promoting the fading of hatred and openness, the new generation of Uchiha did not harbor deep grudges toward the Senju clan.
After the shock faded, Izuna sized up the four ragged boys, confusion in his gaze as he couldn't help asking, "The sons of the Senju clan leader? How did they end up in such a sorry state? Are you sure there's no mistake?"
As soon as he said this, the four Senju brothers immediately looked embarrassed.
They had fled the clan in a hurry, living rough without rest along the way. Their current appearance was indeed miserable. Each of them lowered their eyes, awkwardly gripping their clothes.
"Izuna, mind your manners."
Arisu spoke lightly to remind him. "The four of them have just defected from the Senju clan. Unable to endure the corruption and endless internal strife, they came here specifically to seek refuge in Konoha."
After learning the reason, Uchiha Izuna curled his lips, the pride in his brows deepening, with a hint of smugness as he lifted his chin and said, "So that's how it is."
"Looks like your Senju clan isn't much after all. Even the clan leader's own sons have to run away and take shelter in our Konoha. Life there must be terrible."
Standing beside Hashirama, Senju Tobirama's brows immediately lifted slightly. His cold eyes swept over Izuna, an instinctive dislike rising in his heart. This Uchiha boy was just too arrogant to be likable.
But Senju Hashirama didn't mind the teasing.
"Our clan is facing trouble both inside and out. The clan members have been suffering for years."
"I want to leave first, focus on becoming stronger, and one day I'll go back to save everyone in the clan."
Hashirama's eyes were clear and sincere, his tone carrying both weight and determination.
Hearing this, Madara frowned slightly, stepped forward, and spoke with firm authority. "Since you've come to Konoha and decided to join us, then give up the idea of going back to the Senju clan."
Hashirama lifted his gaze and looked straight at Uchiha Madara.
This was the first true meeting of their eyes in their lives.
There was no hostility, no malice.
Hashirama clenched his fists, his voice strong and steady. "I won't stay here alone. I'll lead the entire Senju clan to join Konoha together!"
Seeing the certainty in his eyes, a faint curve appeared at the corner of Madara's lips. He crossed his arms and said calmly, "That's more like it."
Clap! Clap!
Two soft claps broke the stalemate.
Arisu slowly raised his hand, interrupting the conversation between the boys. Everyone immediately composed themselves and looked toward the elder at the main seat.
"Madara, Izuna, I have a new task for you." Arisu instructed slowly. "The two of you will take the four Senju brothers to familiarize themselves with Konoha and help them adapt here as soon as possible."
Madara and Izuna exchanged a glance, then both straightened and bowed slightly, responding in unison, "Understood!"
After that, the six boys left the solemn Elder Tower together.
The morning breeze swept through the streets of Konoha, and the atmosphere suddenly fell into a stiff silence.
Senju Hashirama looked at Uchiha Madara beside him, whose whole presence gave off a "keep your distance" feeling.
After hesitating again and again, he clenched the corner of his clothes, then stepped forward cautiously, breaking the silence with goodwill and restraint. "Um… hello, my name is Senju Hashirama. What's your name?"
Uchiha Madara crossed his arms, his profile sharp and cold, his tone flat. "Uchiha Madara."
"So it's Madara-kun."
Hashirama replied awkwardly, racking his brain for something to say, his tone becoming more and more clumsy.
"Did you… did you have breakfast?"
"No."
"Then how old are you this year?"
"Fourteen."
"Oh… oh…"
After a few dry exchanges, the air fell into complete awkward silence. The group walked without speaking, the atmosphere painfully stiff.
Madara glanced at Hashirama beside him, who looked completely at a loss. He saw right through his awkwardness with words in a single glance.
Thinking of his great-grandfather's instructions before they left, keeping things this cold wouldn't help complete the task of guiding them around Konoha.
'What an idiot.', Madara complained inwardly.
After a moment of thought, Madara took the initiative to break the silence. His tone was still cold, but a little less distant. "Judging by how things look, you're their eldest brother."
"I'm curious, why did you defect from the Senju? Even if the Senju are struggling, they wouldn't mistreat the clan leader's sons."
Seeing Madara take the initiative to speak, Hashirama's eyes lit up, a bit of happiness rising in his heart.
So this Uchiha boy, who looked cold and aloof, wasn't completely unapproachable.
Immediately, Hashirama opened up, talking nonstop about the Senju clan's difficulties, the selfish exploitation of the higher-ups, the unstable lives of the clan members, and his own pure wish to end the chaos and protect everyone he cared about.
Madara didn't interrupt. He just listened quietly, his steps unconsciously slowing.
As Hashirama spoke, the coldness in Madara's eyes gradually faded, replaced by surprise and deep agreement.
He realized that the ideals and pursuits in this Senju boy's heart were actually the same as his own. Both of them wanted to end the chaos of the world and let their clans live in peace.
The awkward silence completely disappeared.
The two boys, both carrying the same sincere ideals, talked from their clan's struggles to their visions for the future, getting along better and better.
There was a strong sense of meeting too late in their words, and the atmosphere around them grew warmer.
But behind them, the other four were in complete contrast, wrapped in silence. Senju Kawarama and Itama were still young, quietly following their older brothers without saying a word.
Uchiha Izuna and Senju Tobirama walked side by side at the back.
Both had cold expressions, exchanging indifferent glances. Each felt a clear resistance toward the other, and there was not a single word spoken between them the entire time.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/XenosX
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰