Madara and Hashirama had only just met, yet Raizen could see that the bond between them ran deeper than years of acquaintance—it was fate. Even strangers, the threads of Ashura and Indra tied them together, drawing out an instinctive understanding as they sparred along the riverbank.
The sudden turbulence of the river interrupted their playful rivalry. A body floated downstream, finally coming to rest in front of the three.
"That… is?" Madara's eyes widened with suspicion as she stepped closer, Raizen and Hashirama following cautiously.
Hashirama crouched by the corpse, his feet skimming across the water's surface with the ease of a ninja in his prime. "Ninja," he muttered grimly. Madara stared, recognizing that this was no ordinary kid—he, too, was a Warring States-era shinobi.
The corpse bore the emblem of a clan. Hashirama's eyes narrowed. Years of clashes with the Hakata clan gave him instant recognition. He stood, resolve settling over his features. "I… have matters to attend to. Sorry."
Before either Raizen or Madara could respond, Hashirama kicked off the riverbank and leapt to the far side. Glancing back once, he called over his shoulder, "Goodbye, Raizen, Madara. It was a pleasure to meet you today. If fate allows, we'll meet again." Then he disappeared into the forest, leaving a faint ripple behind him.
Madara's gaze lingered on the corpse, noting the Yuyi Clan emblem. The tension between the Hayi, Senju, and Uchiha clans had been simmering for almost two years, and with each passing day, skirmishes grew bloodier. The presence of a Yuyi ninja upstream was a grim reminder that war was inevitable.
"They never rest, huh?" Madara muttered, her dark eyes following the path Hashirama had taken. "Your great clans… always finding a reason to fight."
Raizen shook his head with a wry grin. "It's not just the Uchiha. Didn't the Amamiya stir things up not long ago?"
Madara's lips curled with disdain. "Small clans or not, every ninja counts. Even a minor skirmish can draw attention from the big players."
Raizen sighed, feeling the weight of inevitability. "When does it ever stop?"
"War… never stops," Madara replied quietly, her eyes hard. "As long as ninjas exist, there will be conflict." Without another word, she melted into the forest, leaving only the whispers of the river behind.
Raizen crouched briefly to survey the Yuyi corpse. The flames of war were already licking at this forest; soon, the surrounding clans would be drawn into the chaos. With a deep breath, he launched himself after Madara, running through the trees toward the veins of the warring clans.
By the time he returned to the Songshan Mine in the afternoon, the atmosphere was tense. A ninja rushed forward as he stepped inside.
"Master Raizen! Return to the patriarch—there's a new order!"
Raizen paused, brows furrowed. "A new order?"
The ninja nodded urgently. Without hesitation, Raizen followed, weaving through the gathered Chūnin of the mine. Their stern expressions told him everything: something significant had occurred.