"To gain total trust, you must make someone believe you are a friend. You must stand behind them before you can strike them in the back. Are there snakes among the Senju?"
Madara Uchiha frowned as he considered the words of Ron.
Could a person I trust truly betray me?
Is Ron talking about Hashirama? Would Hashirama ever do such a thing to me?
No. That is absolutely impossible.
Madara dismissed the thought immediately. He believed Ron was simply blinded by the historical hatred between the two clans.
To Madara, the logic was simple. First, Hashirama was not that kind of man. Second, he was Hashirama. Third, I am Madara. Hashirama and Madara shared a bond for a hundred years that would never change.
Within a few moments, Madara rejected the possibility in his mind. Hashirama would not do it. But what about the others?
Are there snakes in the Senju clan?
According to the idealism of Hashirama, there should not be any. But objectively, they existed.
Who could it be?
In an instant, the image of Tobirama Senju flashed in the mind of Madara. If it was Tobirama, then it was certainly possible.
"But it is only a possibility," Madara thought. "I will crush that possibility with my own hands."
Madara looked down on Tobirama. In his eyes, only Hashirama was an equal. A person like Tobirama could not cause any real trouble in the face of his power.
"Ron, you worry too much," Madara said firmly. "I will protect the Uchiha clan. I gave my word to Izuna. I have spoken with Hashirama. He loves peace. He will not allow any snakes to act against us. We will handle these matters together."
Madara spoke with total conviction. He truly believed that he and Hashirama could force their clans to live in harmony.
Ron nodded as if he agreed, but his mind was full of mockery.
"Unbelievable," Ron thought. "Hashirama, Hashirama. All you can think about is Hashirama. Your brother Izuna died wishing for you to take revenge. Hashirama stabbed himself with a tiny kunai to prove his sincerity, but with his monstrous healing factor, that wound would have closed in seconds. I have nothing to say to someone this blinded by a friend."
Ron took a deep breath. He decided to keep pushing. Even if Madara was already a prisoner of the dangerous charm of Hashirama, Ron needed to set the stage for his own departure.
The Uchiha clan was a powerful force. If he was going to start his own village, he wanted to take a portion of the family wealth and talent with him. He did not want to start his journey from zero.
More importantly, these warnings were a long term investment.
In a few years, after the village of Konoha was founded, Madara would reach a breaking point. He would realize that the village did not truly want him. He would realize Tobirama was undermining his position at every turn. When he eventually decided to leave the village alone, he would remember Ron.
He would remember the man who predicted it all.
It would be a great sight to see Madara turning to him for help against his old friend. Ron did not fear Madara taking over his future village. Madara had no real interest in being a political leader. If he did, he would have fought harder for the title of Second Hokage.
The gap in raw power between Madara and Tobirama was so vast that no amount of schemes could bridge it. If Madara had simply stayed and fought for political power with the support of Hashirama, he would have won.
But Madara would not do that. He would look at an ancient stone tablet and believe a set of lies. He would be played like a puppet by Black Zetsu.
His fate was already sealed.
Madara would eventually seek out Ron. Even if Madara wanted to start the plan for the Eye of the Moon, Ron would pretend to join him. He would drain every bit of value from Madara. By the time Madara awakened the Rinnegan, he would be an old man on the brink of death.
Ron had his system. He would grow much faster than Madara ever could.
Madara listened to the words of Ron in silence. He thought about the logic. It sounded reasonable, but he was already committed to the dream.
"You are being alarmist," Madara stated. "The Uchiha follow me. The Senju follow Hashirama. As long as we stand together, there is nothing in this world we cannot achieve."
Madara looked extremely confident. Ron just stood there and watched him act. He looked forward to the day the reality hit him. On that day, Ron would ask him why he failed to become the Second Hokage.
...
⁄(⁄ ⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ ⁄)⁄