"Madara, are you alright?"
Inside a cave deep within the mountains of the shinobi world, Senju Hashirama looked worriedly at his best friend sitting before him.
Uchiha Madara was seated cross-legged on the ground, his right hand clutching his left eye tightly.
Between his fingers, a faint, unusual haze of violet light seeped through.
"Hmph..." A muffled groan echoed through the cave.
These past few days, his eyes had been throbbing with a strange sensation—an indescribable mix of swelling and burning.
It wasn't painful per se, but it came from somewhere deeper, from the very core of his bloodline.It felt as if something inside was stirring, yearning to break free.
This inexplicable energy made him feel uneasy, even slightly alienated from his own body.
As powerful as he was, Madara had long been accustomed to controlling every aspect of himself.But this sudden surge of energy—divine, cold, and transcendent—seemed to exist beyond his grasp, relentlessly washing over his nerves.
He tried to suppress the sensation through sheer willpower, yet it was in vain.
That power wasn't destructive; it was more like... the sign of an impending metamorphosis.
Occasionally, amidst the unbearable throbbing, the light leaking through his fingers was no longer the crimson of the Sharingan, but a light of profound violet—divine and overwhelming.
That violet glow would fade as quickly as it appeared, but each time it carried a crushing sense of pressure.
Hashirama was shocked to his core, utterly stunned by the sheer intensity of the energy radiating from his friend.
"Madara..." he whispered, trying to call out to him.
The two of them had been living like primitives in these mountains—working by sunrise, resting by sunset.
How had Madara suddenly started mutating like this?
They ate the same food every day—so why was Madara getting stronger without him?!
From that fleeting purple light, Hashirama could feel an incomparably vast power—one that made the already mighty Madara even more formidable.
"The combined power... Has it finally borne fruit?" Madara muttered under his breath.
His voice reverberated softly within the cave, laced with anticipation that he could barely conceal.
He recalled the contents of the Uchiha stone tablet, as well as the flesh and blood he had taken from Hashirama.
In that instant, he understood exactly what was happening.
This was the ticket to the pinnacle of true power—the ultimate eye essential to the "Eye of the Moon Plan."
The Rinnegan.
Even knowing its origin, the strange sensations during its awakening filled him with irritation—he loathed this feeling of being out of control.
He didn't know how long it would take for the Rinnegan to fully awaken, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.
"Madara, what are you talking about?" Hashirama scratched his head, having caught bits like "Asura" and "Indra."
Those names felt oddly familiar to him, as if he somehow knew the people Madara was referring to.
But Madara merely closed his eyes in silence, ignoring the question.
Seeing this, Hashirama could only stay quietly by his friend's side, hoping nothing would go wrong.
After some time, Madara reopened his eyes. The violet glow faded, revealing once more the scarlet of his three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Still not successful?"
He hadn't fully awakened the Rinnegan yet, only felt its immense energy brewing inside.
But he knew—it wouldn't be long now.
When the time came, he would initiate the Eye of the Moon Plan and bring true peace to the chaotic shinobi world!
"Madara, what was that just now?" Hashirama asked curiously as his friend returned to normal.
"The Rinnegan," Madara answered quietly.
"The Rinnegan? Isn't that the legendary eye of the Sage of Six Paths?!" Hashirama's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I didn't think you'd actually possess such a mythical power!"
Madara gave him a strange look.
If he could awaken the Rinnegan... then, theoretically, so could Hashirama.
Since the Rinnegan required the fusion of Indra and Asura's chakra, Hashirama should also have the potential.
But Madara said nothing. Awakening it took decades, perhaps longer.
He had transplanted Hashirama's cells long ago and still hadn't fully awakened the eyes. Even if Hashirama could, it would take ages—if he even lived that long.
No need to give the man false hope.
"Madara, can you tell me how you awakened the Rinnegan?" Hashirama looked at his friend with envious eyes.
They had lived together in this cave for years—eating, sleeping, and surviving side by side. How did Madara suddenly awaken the Rinnegan without him noticing?!
He must have been secretly doing something behind his back!
How sneaky!
Madara simply shook his head.
"I don't know."
Hashirama: "..."
There was no point being envious anymore.
They lived the exact same life every day—so how did Madara just suddenly get stronger?!
"Hashirama, go make dinner," Madara said quietly.
"Huh? Me again?!" Hashirama complained.
If Renya were here, he wouldn't have to cook at all.
After living in the wilderness for so long, even someone who couldn't cook would eventually learn.
"This week's your turn. Next week, I'll cook," Madara replied.
"Fine, fine. I'll go see if there's anything to hunt," Hashirama sighed, walking out of the cave.
Madara watched his departing back, then closed his eyes again to feel the strange energy stirring within them.
After years in the mountains, hunting had become part of their daily life—boars, deer, pheasants, rabbits... anything they could catch to survive.
They had long forgotten what civilization looked like.
...
Perhaps Hashirama's luck was bad today—there was no sign of prey near their camp, so he ventured farther away.
Meanwhile...
"Renya, is this really the kind of place Hashirama lives in?" Uzumaki Mito looked around at the dense vegetation and desolate mountains, her heart aching at the sight.
Her husband had been living such a miserable life—like a caveman!
Renya didn't quite know how to answer. If he guessed right, Hashirama-san and Madara-sama were probably holed up in some cave...
Basically living as mountain hermits.
If Mito-san found that out, she'd be heartbroken.
"More or less," he said finally, deciding not to explain too much.
Some things had to be seen firsthand to be truly understood.
Seeing his expression, Uzumaki Mito's heart sank even deeper—apparently, Hashirama's living conditions were worse than she'd imagined.
"Mito-sama, please don't worry! Hashirama-sama and Madara-sama are living happily together, meow!" Scar said cheerfully, trying to comfort her.
Renya: "..."
You can't just say things like that!
He glanced cautiously at Mito-san beside him.
The tenderness on her face was gone—replaced by blazing fury.
Hashirama-san was doomed.
Scar noticed the shift in atmosphere, tilting his head toward Renya.
"Kid, did I say something wrong, meow?"
Renya: "..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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