Chapter 270: You're Too Naive
Uchiha Madara, growing more and more impatient and agitated, lashed out with increasing ferocity. His one and only goal was to completely shake off Senju Hashirama's obstruction and then head to Konoha to accomplish his objective.
But his equal, Senju Hashirama, wasn't someone who could be so easily shaken off.
No matter how Madara tried, he was firmly pinned down, with no chance to break free.
"Madara, whatever ambition or purpose you have, I will never let you succeed."
"We're both people who have already died. Why not go back with me to the underworld peacefully?"
Hashirama spoke while attacking, trying to persuade Madara.
But to Madara, these words sounded like the biggest joke in the world.
He couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
"Since you know nothing, then I'll just tell you, Hashirama."
"What is it you want to say to me, Madara?"
Hashirama stood atop the head of the Thousand-Armed Buddha, meeting Madara's gaze, who stood upon the head of his Complete Body Susanoo.
At that moment, the two stopped their attacks in unspoken agreement.
Madara knew brute force could not defeat Hashirama. He was thinking carefully about how much of the truth he should reveal in order to secure the greatest advantage for himself.
After pondering for a moment, Madara spoke: "How much do you know about the legend of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"The Sage of Six Paths?"
Hashirama was briefly stunned. "All I know is that he's the founder of ninjutsu, and it's said chakra was created by him."
"That's both right, and not right."
"What do you mean?"
Seeing Madara's cryptic look, Hashirama's curiosity was thoroughly stirred.
He looked at Madara, waiting for him to explain further.
A hint of disgust flashed in Madara's eyes, but he continued anyway: "You should remember what I told you before. The one god of heaven sought peace, splitting into the extremes of yin and yang, opposing forces merging as one, giving birth to all creation."
"The reason I fought that battle with you back then was because I was deceived by a being called Black Zetsu. With your cells combined with my chakra, I could awaken the eyes said to belong only to the Sage of Six Paths—the Rinnegan."
"I don't really get what you mean. So you're saying you awakened the Rinnegan?"
Hashirama scratched his head with a dopey expression.
"But if I recall, I did win that fight against you, didn't I?" he added.
Madara didn't answer, continuing on his own: "Black Zetsu is, in truth, the child of a woman named Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya? More and more names keep popping up… Wait, you still haven't explained what Black Zetsu really is…"
"Aren't I saying it now?! Don't interrupt me!"
Madara roared impatiently.
But after yelling, he forced himself to explain further.
Before long, he laid out the general truth of the matter.
Hashirama then came to understand about Black Zetsu, about Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, about the Sage of Six Paths, and even that the Ōtsutsuki clan came from outer space.
He realized as well that both the Senju and Uchiha clans were in fact descendants of the Sage of Six Paths—that is, of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
"So what you're saying is that there's this alien race called the Ōtsutsuki clan who plan to steal all of this world's chakra just to grow a Divine Tree and harvest chakra fruit?"
"If they succeed, everyone in this world will die, right? Then we should stop them!"
"Madara, join forces with me! Let's fight those evil beings together and protect this world's peace once again!"
Hashirama shouted with excitement, clenching his fists and grinning with enthusiasm.
Madara, looking pained, closed his eyes and didn't even want to glance at him, frowning in irritation.
After letting Hashirama ramble on, Madara finally spoke again: "It seems you still don't really understand the danger here."
"Whether it's Ōtsutsuki Kaguya or the other Ōtsutsuki, their power far exceeds what you or I can imagine. They are not beings we can oppose."
Madara's words made Hashirama fall silent.
He stared at Madara for a moment, then asked seriously, "Madara, are you… afraid?"
The question irked Madara, but he didn't answer—his silence almost serving as admission.
Hashirama, ever naive, actually believed it. "This is the first time I've seen you so wary of someone…"
"I believe you. That's why I suggest the two of us work together."
"You and I combined can unleash power strong enough to defeat the enemy. Wasn't it you who said it? Opposing forces merging as one give birth to all creation."
Hashirama tried to persuade him with optimism.
That last line made Madara's expression falter slightly.
Hashirama immediately noticed, and with a smile said: "You and I, whether in personality or the powers we wield, match perfectly with the idea of opposition. If we joined forces, we could create infinite possibilities, infinite miracles…"
"You're just as naive as ever, Hashirama!"
Madara could no longer hold back, cutting him off with a roar.
His voice hardened as he declared: "Before you, I already fought against that being!"
"If you haven't seen it with your own eyes, you could never imagine how terrifying that power really is!"
"Compared to it, the strength you and I have is utterly insignificant! Even at my peak, I couldn't withstand a single strike!"
Madara's grave words finally wiped the smile off Hashirama's face.
Staring across at Madara for several seconds, Hashirama asked, "Madara, when you say peak, do you mean your power when you were alive?"
"Even stronger than that. After our battle, I gained your cells and awakened the Rinnegan."
"From then on, my power had long surpassed what you knew of me! Yet even with my eyes, against that being, I was completely helpless… You have no idea how terrifying it is!"
Madara's solemn tone let some of the pressure sink in for Hashirama.
But he still remained optimistic: "How can we know unless we try?"
"No matter how powerful the enemy, if they intend to destroy this world, we must stand against them."
"There's only one way to deal with that being."
Madara, feeling the time was right, spoke immediately.
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