Tension filled the room the moment Tobirama and Madara laid eyes on each other.
With Hashirama not present to mediate, sparks flew in the silence.It was like placing oil next to fire—any moment, it could ignite.
Even Kai was on edge, mentally prepared to teleport one of them out at a second's notice. If things exploded, he'd separate them and talk later—once the air cooled.
But surprisingly, both parties held back.
Madara scowled but didn't lash out. He was no fool. If this was truly a future version of Tobirama, then it was smarter to endure—for now. There were answers he needed, and he wouldn't get them with fists.
And Tobirama? He'd changed.
Years of experience had dulled the brash edges of the man once known for his pride and biting tongue. This wasn't the young Tobirama from Madara's time. He didn't flinch or rise to provocation.
The Uchiha in front of him wasn't the Madara he knew. There was no point in dredging up old grudges.
Besides, giving face to the Wandering Sage was more important.
"Why bring him here?" Tobirama turned to Kai, narrowing his eyes. "Where's my brother?"
Kai gave a calm reply. "I made a deal with Madara. And believe it or not, you might need his power too."
Madara studied the room, then the village visible through the window—his expression darkening into something more contemplative.
"…So this really is the future?"
"Yes."
"How far?"
"Seventeen years after Konoha's founding. One year since Hashirama's death."
"I see… So this is the world Hashirama visited before."Madara's eyes softened, just a little. "Then he's really… gone?"
There was a faint pause.
The kind of silence that weighed heavily.
Kai nodded.
Madara looked away, the corners of his lips twitching—not with anger, but with an emotion he rarely showed: sorrow.
Now it made sense.
Hashirama's desperate plea to keep him alive, his insistence that Madara take up the mantle of Hokage—it had all been rooted in this future, in the knowledge of a death yet to happen.
Even if it wasn't his Hashirama, the weight of it hit just the same.
But in that same moment, the final thread of doubt Madara had been holding about Kai vanished.
The Wandering Sage really could cross timelines.This wasn't a genjutsu. This wasn't a trick.
This was real.
Now that he knew they stood in Konoha's future, Madara wanted details.
He'd heard vague summaries from Hashirama during their last visit, but the First Hokage hadn't stayed long. There were still gaps—missing pieces.
"So this Tobirama was supposed to die at the hands of those two Kumogakure beasts?"
Madara's tone turned mocking. "And Hashirama saved him? Ha!"
He laughed sharply, shaking his head. "To think such a loudmouthed, self-righteous man would fall to those two weaklings…"
It was a jab he couldn't resist.
Tobirama's face darkened instantly. His jaw clenched.
What did you say?!
He nearly exploded—but stopped himself. Barely.
Technically, he had almost died. And yes, it had been reckless.
Still…
Damn you, Uchiha Madara. If you've got the guts, step outside for three hundred rounds!
Wait.
No, I still can't beat him.
Deep breath. Hold it in.
You're the Second Hokage now. Show some self-control.
Internally, Tobirama was on fire, but outwardly, he stayed calm.
If only Hashirama were here. He'd have tackled Madara by now.
Kai said nothing. He let the moment hang.
Because one day, everyone would know how Madara himself died—heart ripped out by Black Zetsu.
Funny how time works. You never know who gets the last laugh.
Kai finally brought the conversation back on track.
"Tobirama, how's the situation progressing?"
Tobirama straightened. "According to plan. No one besides Sarutobi and the original team knows I'm still alive."
"All of Konoha—and the entire shinobi world—believe I died alongside Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
His voice carried a sense of satisfaction.
It hadn't been easy to set up, but with Kai's assistance and some carefully staged intelligence drops, the deception had worked flawlessly.
While Kai used his daily teleportation access to check in across worlds, he and Tobirama had coordinated the details of the fake death operation.
The logic was simple:If Tobirama remained publicly alive, future developments—many of which had been revealed—could unravel.
Better to preserve that intelligence and use it to reshape the future.
Madara raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.
"Hiding your death to move behind the scenes? Hmph. Clever."
He leaned forward. "Then what about me? Could it be that I faked my death too in this timeline?"
There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
Tobirama didn't answer—but the idea wasn't entirely implausible.
Madara pushed further. "So what's the current status of the First Ninja World War?"
Kai remained silent, letting Tobirama explain.
Tobirama tapped the documents on the table.
"The war's in its second phase."
"In the beginning—after my brother's death—the Four Great Nations marched on Konoha. I took command as the Second Hokage, summoned an army of the dead using Impure World Reincarnation, and with the aid of Flying Thunder God, repelled their alliance."
"My speed earned me the title of the fastest shinobi in the world."
Madara's lip curled. "Still obsessed with your own titles."
Ignoring him, Tobirama continued.
"After their defeat, the alliance broke. Sunagakure withdrew from the war, focusing instead on turning tailed beasts into weapons."
"Kumogakure tried to negotiate peace with us, but their own men—Kinkaku and Ginkaku—ruined the talks. Their rampage led to the deaths of both the Second Raikage and myself… or so everyone believes."
"Iwagakure and Kirigakure are now fighting each other to the death. The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu, are both preparing for a decisive battle."
"If I remained alive and visible, it might've discouraged their war—and preserved two extremely dangerous threats."
Madara nodded slowly. "So you let them kill each other."
Tobirama's gaze sharpened.
"And while they're busy bleeding themselves dry…"
"I plan to form a temporary alliance with Sunagakure, and launch a raid on Iwagakure's heartland."
"With any luck, I can wipe them off the map in one stroke."
Kai watched silently.
This was no longer the Tobirama of old—naïve about peace and bound by ideals. This was a man who had seen too many futures, too many disasters.
A man willing to strike preemptively and erase entire villages if it meant safeguarding Konoha's future.
After witnessing the horrors of the Nine-Tails Rebellion and the later Shinobi Wars, he no longer believed in the Tailed Beast Deterrence Doctrine.
Tobirama was done playing the long game of peace.
His goal now was simple: cripple the other Great Villages while he still could.
Better to act now than watch Sarutobi squander everything later.
Madara scoffed.
"As expected of you, Tobirama. So calculating, so underhanded."
"This is what the Senju are reduced to? Plots and deceit?"
Tobirama's eyes flashed. "Better than betraying your village and fighting your own brother to the death!"
Madara stepped forward, voice like ice. "Don't blame me for your brother's death. Or are you saying Konoha falls apart without me?"
They locked eyes.
Two titans.Two legacies.
And neither backing down.
Madara, fresh off obliterating the [Iwagakure Village] in his own world, couldn't believe Tobirama needed so many tricks for something so small.
Why not just destroy it yourself?
He sneered. "Coward. Idiot."
Tobirama crossed his arms.
"Monster. Traitor."
The silence that followed was far louder than their insults.
Because the truth was—both were right. And both were wrong.
And the war wasn't over yet.