"Ancestor Izuna, it's not that the Uchiha clan was weak. It's just that the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were experts at winning people over," Uchiha Itachi explained."After our ancestors, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, founded the Hidden Leaf Village, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans became loyal vassals of the Senju."
"When Tobirama Senju died in battle, Hiruzen Sarutobi rose to power and turned the village into his personal domain. Major clans like the Hyuga, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame began following the Sarutobi and Shimura leadership. The Uchiha were then pushed out of the center of power—banished to the outskirts of the village."
"Wait a second," Uchiha Tajima suddenly caught something. "Did you say Madara and Hashirama founded the Hidden Leaf?"
Madara: "..."
"Brother, why?! Tobirama was the one who killed me! Why did you agree to ally with Hashirama?" Uchiha Izuna shouted in disbelief.
"What? Izuna, you were also killed by one of the Senju?" Tajima was stunned.
"That's right, Father. I underestimated Tobirama and lost. Before I died, I dug out my Mangekyō Sharingan and gave it to Brother so he could awaken the Eternal Mangekyō and avenge me. I even warned him not to trust Hashirama... but he didn't listen." Izuna said, visibly hurt.
"You... you infuriate me!" Tajima's hand trembled as he pointed at Madara, his voice breaking with rage. "Madara! Have you forgotten the blood debt of our family?! Is this what it means to be a son? A brother?! Before I died, I asked you to take care of Izuna—and now, not only did you fail, but you even allied with our enemy! Explain yourself!"
Madara: "..."
"Ancestor Tajima, please don't be angry. The truth is, Ancestor Madara had no choice at the time." Itachi stepped in to defend him.
"No choice?" Tajima scoffed. "What could possibly justify this betrayal?"
Madara's face froze. No choice? Wait... is he going to expose my genuine friendship with Hashirama to the others?! Madara's expression darkened as he tried to speak—but the binding force of the Edo Tensei technique prevented him from refuting Itachi.
The silence only made him appear more... tragic and burdened.
"After Ancestor Izuna died, Madara was the only strong Uchiha left. He stood alone against Hashirama and Tobirama—he had no chance of winning."
"No chance of winning?" Madara's face twitched. He wanted to object—but thinking back, he really couldn't beat them back then. That hurt his pride.
"And the Senju had already allied with other clans like the Uzumaki and Hyuga. If the Uchiha rejected peace, we might have faced total annihilation. That's why Madara, bearing the weight of clan hatred and personal grief, reluctantly agreed to form an alliance with Hashirama and establish the Hidden Leaf." Itachi continued.
"..."
(｀Д´)!!Madara was stunned. Wait… was I really that noble?!
"So that's how it was… Madara did it all for the clan," Tajima muttered, his expression softening.
In their minds, Madara's image—enduring injustice, sacrificing pride—grew majestic. Everything he did... was for the clan.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I blamed you wrongly," Izuna said with guilt. "It was all my fault. If I had been stronger… more cautious… you wouldn't have had to suffer like that."
"It's fine. The past is the past," Madara reassured him.
"And then? What happened afterward?" Tajima asked.
"Later, Madara and Hashirama clashed at the Valley of the End over their ideological differences. Only Hashirama returned."
"Many claimed Madara had died, but we never truly believed it.
'If alive, show us the man. If dead, show us the body.'
For years, our clan searched the shinobi world, hoping to find you. But all we ever found were your bloodstained armor and robes from the Warring States period. So we built a memorial cenotaph to honor you and keep your spirit close to the clan." Itachi said with a trace of sadness.
So even after I faked my death, the clan never forgot me?Madara felt a warmth rise in his heart.
"Yes, Hashirama did kill me at the Valley of the End. It's normal you didn't find a body." Madara said, completely unfazed.
"You let yourself get killed? With your strength, escaping shouldn't have been hard. Why die there?" Tajima asked in confusion.
"It was a matter of ideology," Madara replied. "I wanted to unify the shinobi world and end the chaos. But Hashirama disagreed. He insisted on dividing the Tailed Beasts among the other nations. So we had no choice but to fight.
"If I won, I'd lead the shinobi world. If I lost, he would.
"And by that time, the Uchiha no longer followed me. Fighting Hashirama was the only path left to me."
"Unfortunately, I miscalculated and got run through by his sword. But I imagine he didn't feel great after killing me."
"You're right," Itachi added. "He returned gravely wounded and passed away not long after, likely from guilt and his injuries."
"I see. In that case… I didn't lose," Madara said with satisfaction.
So Hashirama did feel something after killing me... he still had me in his heart.
Madara looked neither bitter nor angry. In fact, he looked rather... pleased.
"Hashirama may have gained a bit. But I never lost. Not only did I outlive both Senju brothers, I even awakened the Rinnegan."
Itachi narrowed his eyes. Oh, give me a break. You know exactly how Hashirama felt. And wasn't it you who probably orchestrated Tobirama's death through the Gold and Silver Brothers?
Still, Itachi had to admit—Madara really didn't lose. Hashirama stabbed him once, Madara bit back hard, then went and tattooed the guy on his chest. He awakened the Rinnegan and rose again. Talk about playing the long game.
"Wait, Madara," Tajima asked. "You said the clan stopped listening to you? Weren't you the clan leader? Why didn't they follow your command? Did you betray them somehow?"
"Well…" Madara scratched his head, looking just as confused.
"I can explain," Itachi offered. "Before the Hidden Leaf was founded, the shinobi world was organized by clans—each clan obeyed its leader without question.
"But after the village was established under Hashirama, clans began to merge and intermarry. Bonds grew between them, and the idea of unity under a single village became more important than clan loyalty. That's when the Hokage came to represent the entire village, above all clans.
"Since everyone protected the village, it created a sort of shared defense. The village became safer, and civilians had better chances of survival.
"With peace and security, the Uchiha naturally desired a stable life. So who would willingly abandon that peace to follow Madara into a life of war and bloodshed?
"That's why… in the end, the clan turned its back on him."
"I see…" Tajima sighed. "If peace was possible, who would choose a life of wandering and endless war…"