“Madara… is that you?”
Before he finished speaking, Uchiha Madara’s body suddenly stiffened, and countless complex emotions flashed in his eyes.
—Shock, bewilderment, doubt, nostalgia…
This sounds like Hashirama’s voice. Didn’t they say he was already dead?
Uchiha Madara’s thoughts churned, various ideas appearing in his mind, but he quickly calmed down.
Hashirama, that guy, actually faked his death to find him. Could it be that he already knew Madara wasn't dead?
Such a possibility wasn't out of the question.
After all, given their relationship, it was normal for Hashirama to notice something was wrong with the corpse Madara left behind…
Uchiha Madara didn’t want to meet Hashirama at all right now; his dream hadn’t been realized yet.
Their ideals were completely different. If Hashirama found out, he would definitely stop him!
It wasn’t that Madara was afraid of Hashirama; he just felt it was unnecessary.
He no longer wanted to argue with the other party about who was right or wrong; he just wanted to shake off Hashirama and complete his unfulfilled dream.
The plan hadn’t even begun; no accidents could occur!
And Senju Hashirama, that guy, was the biggest obstacle to him achieving his dream…
“Madara, is it really you?” Hashirama’s questioning voice came again.
Just as he was about to step forward to check, he saw the long-haired man suddenly move!
Uchiha Madara turned around, swiftly grabbed his straw hat and black robe, and his figure flashed like a ghost. Chakra erupted from his feet, and he instantly sped across the water, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
As Madara turned, Hashirama finally saw his face—those deep eyes, the stern features, and that perpetually arrogant expression.
This face, which he had longed for day and night, appeared before his eyes—Uchiha Madara!
Absolutely no mistake, this was Uchiha Madara!
He really wasn't dead!
“Madara, wait for me!” Senju Hashirama rushed out without hesitation, leaping onto the water and giving chase.
His voice echoed through the forest, but it only prompted the figure ahead to flee even faster.
…
The scorching sun hung high, and two dark figures swiftly moved through the forest.
Uchiha Madara’s black robe flapped in the wind as he sped, and he could clearly hear the familiar footsteps behind him, yet he never looked back.
Hashirama was still as persistent as ever, just like before.
Suddenly, a violent fit of coughing came from behind. Madara’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his steps unconsciously slowed down a bit.
He glanced back, and through the gaps in his flowing black hair, he saw Senju Hashirama’s gradually paling face.
Hashirama was clutching his chest in pain, clearly struggling to breathe. His Chakra began to become chaotic, yet he stubbornly tried to keep up.
Each time he forcefully circulated his Chakra, his face would become even more haggard.
He had forgotten that his injuries were very severe, and fully circulating Chakra would only worsen them.
But to catch up to Madara, he could only grit his teeth and persevere.
As time passed, his running speed became slower and slower, and he was soon left behind by Madara.
No, he absolutely couldn't let Madara leave again!
Uchiha Madara noticed the movement behind him, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.
What’s going on?
Why was Hashirama’s physical condition so poor?
One must know that with Hashirama’s strength, such a situation was impossible.
This could only mean that he had sustained very severe injuries, leading to a significant decline in his strength.
Senju Hashirama’s breathing grew heavier and heavier; each step he took was accompanied by rough gasps.
He stared intently at the retreating figure ahead, as if even a slight blink would make the other party disappear from his life again.
“Madara!” he called out again, “Stop!”
If this continued, he would soon be left behind by Madara…
Uchiha Madara’s peripheral vision caught the stumbling figure behind him, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Hashirama’s Chakra was too chaotic; this was absolutely not the state that the Ninja God, who once rivaled him, should be in.
“Cough cough… Madara!”
Hashirama’s shouts continued from behind, clearly having reached his limit.
Uchiha Madara’s steps gradually slowed, finally stopping on a horizontal branch of a large tree.
The breeze lifted his loose long hair, revealing a pair of calm, unruffled eyes.
“How pathetic, Hashirama.” Madara looked down at the heavily panting Hashirama below, “The current you doesn’t even qualify for me to run away at full strength.”
Senju Hashirama gasped for breath, but a happy smile appeared on his face when he heard this.
“Hehe, I didn’t expect it really was you, Madara!”
“Why are you chasing me?” Madara’s voice was cold. Before realizing his dream, he didn’t want too much entanglement with Hashirama. “The current you can’t even take one of my moves.”
He wasn't exaggerating; Hashirama’s current state was very poor, no match for him at all.
If he wanted to, Hashirama would die here today.
Hashirama leaned against the tree trunk, panting, his face still maintaining a happy smile: “Because… it’s you.”
After two years of searching, he finally found his best friend. How could he be willing to let Madara leave just like that?
Even if he died, he would die on the path of chasing Madara.
…
“Don’t talk to me in that tone!” Uchiha Madara suddenly activated his Sharingan, three black tomoe spinning wildly in his eyes: “Do you think it’s still the past?”
Back then, he was too naive, believed Hashirama’s nonsense, and ended up in such a situation, even his own clan members were unwilling to follow him away.
“Don’t follow me anymore, or I’ll really kill you!”
Uchiha Madara stared at Hashirama with cold eyes, then turned and left, though this time his speed was noticeably slower.
A smile appeared on Senju Hashirama’s pale face, and he quickly chased after him again.
Two figures chased each other through the forest, maintaining a subtle balance.
Madara’s black robe fluttered in the wind, occasionally obscuring Hashirama’s vision, yet always giving him hope to catch up.
As time passed, Senju Hashirama’s vision began to blur. His current body had reached its limit, but he still maintained a not-too-far, not-too-close distance from Madara.
He knew this was Madara giving him a chance to catch up.
But he really couldn’t hold on any longer…
As this thought appeared, Senju Hashirama felt his vision go black, and all strength left his body.
He stumbled, took one last step, then fell from the treetop, landing heavily on the ground.
“Thud—”
“Madara…”
His lips moved, but only a faint call escaped him. He looked desperately at Madara’s receding back, and finally fell into a coma.
“In the end… I still couldn’t catch up, could I?”
Uchiha Madara noticed the movement behind him, and his speeding figure suddenly stopped, a momentary struggle flashing in his eyes.
Ultimately, Madara still came before Hashirama.
He looked at Hashirama’s pale face and couldn’t help but frown, “You always like to act recklessly…”
He knelt down to check Hashirama’s body, and upon finding that he had only fallen into a coma, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Next time…” Madara slowly stood up, “Don’t follow me.”
Just as he turned to leave, his pant leg was suddenly grabbed firmly by a hand.
“Madara, don’t go… okay?”
…
…
PS: Thanks to 【Senju Tobirama Edo Tensei】 for the Great God certification, licking the screen, sniffle sniffle…