"What is it?! What did you confirm?!"
Madara crossed his arms, his expression calm but carrying an underlying weight. "How should I put this…? The chakra between us has a very peculiar connection—something beyond the ordinary. Back when we fought, I had an idea, just a theory at first. So, I took a sample of your flesh and blood after our battle and conducted a series of experiments. I transplanted your cells into my body."
Hashirama's eyes widened in shock. "You—?! You took my flesh and blood?! Madara, you—"
Ignoring Hashirama's dramatics, Madara continued. "You should remember Danzo, that man who misused your cells. His body was never able to handle them properly, and the results were… unsightly. But my case was different. Unlike Danzo, my cells and your cells merged seamlessly—without rejection, without imperfection. A complete fusion."
For a moment, Hashirama was speechless, his mouth slightly agape. Then, his expression shifted to pure astonishment.
"Sugoi!!! Madara! Are you saying that our cells can be completely fused together?! But if that's true, why can't I sense my own cells inside you?!"
Without hesitation, Hashirama lunged toward Madara, wrapping himself around him like a curious child. His hands roamed across Madara's arms, chest, and even his back as he inspected him with intense curiosity, trying to find any sign of his own cells.
Bang!
Madara smacked Hashirama's forehead with an exasperated sigh.
"Idiot! I already told you—it's a perfect fusion! Of course, you can't sense them! Your cells and my cells are indistinguishable now. They are no longer separate entities. They have become one!"
Hearing this, Hashirama muttered to himself, almost in a trance, "We… merged…"
Madara's eyelids twitched violently at the way Hashirama phrased it. His lips curled into a slightly strained grin. "You make it sound far more bizarre than it actually is."
"But… Madara, what does all of this have to do with your eyes?"
Madara let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples as if dealing with a slow student. "My eyes—these eyes—are called the Rinnegan. They are the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. And the reason I awakened them… is because of our fusion. Our two chakras combined, and that connection awakened the Rinnegan within me."
Hashirama furrowed his brows. "The Sage of Six Paths? What does he have to do with our chakras?"
Madara smirked knowingly. "That brings me to that kid—Souta Kazuki. Do you remember what he said? When he obtained our chakra, he underwent an extraordinary transformation. That was my final confirmation. Our chakras are linked to the lineage of the Sage of Six Paths."
Hashirama was still struggling to fully grasp the concept. "Wait… so what does that mean for me? Can I also awaken these eyes?"
Bang!
Hashirama clutched his forehead, wincing as Madara smacked him again. "Stop hitting me!!!"
"Then stop being an idiot!!! If my cells could grant me the Rinnegan, then if you were to merge with my cells, you might also experience the same effect!"
Realization dawned on Hashirama. His eyes began to sparkle with uncontained excitement.
"Madara! You mean you want to merge with me?!!!"
Bang!!!
"You absolute fool!!! It's just a fusion of cells! Stop making it sound so weird!!!"
"But isn't that still a fusion?"
"...Well… you're not wrong."
Hashirama suddenly jumped to his feet, practically bouncing in excitement. "Amazing!!! Madara! I want to merge with you!!!"
"I haven't finished talking yet!!!"
Hashirama reluctantly loosened his grip, looking slightly disappointed. "Then what else do you want to say?"
Madara let out a deep breath, rubbing his temples again. "Listen carefully. I'm not certain that you'll awaken the Rinnegan just from fusing with my cells. Unlike me, you're already gone and resurrected in this form. My eyes are still in my body, but before I died, I left a pair of Rinnegan in the shinobi world. If you want, I can retrieve them for you."
Hashirama, however, didn't hesitate. He shook his head firmly.
"No! Madara—I don't want those eyes. I want to merge with you!!! Let me bite you! I still remember how painful it was when you—"
Smack!
"Shut up, you idiot!!! Are you some kind of wild animal?! Even if you want my cells, you can't just bite me! That's reckless!"
Madara sighed deeply, shaking his head in disbelief. "You should let your brother and that Orochimaru guy handle this. Those two have a talent for conducting experiments. Even though they aren't particularly powerful, their research skills are undeniable. With their help, the success rate of the procedure will be much higher."
Hashirama pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Madara! I'll do as you say!!!"
A Watchful Gaze from Afar
Unbeknownst to them, a shadow sat perched on a large tree in the distance, watching their antics with quiet contemplation. Uchiha Izuna leaned against the thick branches, his eyes focused on his older brother and Hashirama.
"Onii-sama… I hope this time you succeed. As your younger brother, I will stand by you no matter what. For your dream… even if I must sacrifice everything."
The Uzumaki's Grudge
Meanwhile, at the Uzumaki household, Senju Tobirama stood before Uzumaki Mito. His expression was solemn.
"Sister-in-law!"
Mito looked up at him calmly. "Oh, Tobirama. What's wrong?"
Tobirama hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There is something I need to ask… You're aware of Orochimaru's plans, right? Shouldn't you try to stop Kushina Uzumaki?"
Mito arched a brow. "And why would I do that?"
Tobirama frowned. "But—!" He found himself at a loss for words.
Seeing his reaction, Mito chuckled softly. "Tobirama… do you know? Women can be very vengeful. And very, very petty."
Tobirama blinked in confusion.
Mito's gaze darkened. "My name is Uzumaki Mito. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina. We are both Uzumaki. And yet… do you know what happened to the Uzumaki clan?"
Tobirama's expression stiffened.
"The Uzumaki clan no longer exists," Mito continued. "When our people were annihilated, did Konoha come to our aid? Did Hiruzen lift a single finger to help? No. He let it happen."
Tobirama felt his mind waver, the weight of her words sinking in.
"And to be frank," Mito said with a smirk, "the fact that I haven't done anything yet is already a kindness to Konoha. If I were not the First Hokage's wife, I would have personally ensured Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo met their ends."
Tobirama stood there, stunned into silence.
He had not known.
That Konoha had merely watched… as the Uzumaki clan was erased from history.