The so-called "age-old friendship between Kirigakure and Konoha"…

That could only be traced back to the First Hokage's time.

Outside of Hashirama's era, there was never truly such a thing as "friendship." But this was how both sides chose to phrase it—a polite excuse to give each other an out, so the situation wouldn't look too ugly.

Elder Genji was an old fox.

He walked off to the side with Kyoichi, and the two stood by the riverbank talking.

"Kyoichi-dono, what's the story with that group of people you brought?"

"As you saw for yourself, they're all Uchiha—but they'd been taken and controlled by someone else. In that sense, we actually share a common enemy."

Kyoichi didn't go into detail, only giving a surface-level explanation of the situation.

Genji frowned, his expression growing a little more grave.

Those people…

Even the Uchiha could be manipulated and dragged away in such numbers.

Not simple at all!

And that worried him.

Sure, they'd broken the enemy's genjutsu control this time, but only because Kanda Kyoichi had stepped in. It wasn't as if Kyoichi would personally intervene every single time, right?

Even if he were willing…

Kirigakure couldn't afford it!

This guy was a gold-devouring beast—asking for his help came at a heavy price. Call on him a few more times, and the village would go bankrupt.

At the very least, for this incident alone, Genji was already worried whether their meager reserves would be enough to cover the "pit" Kyoichi would dig on their side.

After mulling it over, Genji finally said gravely:

"Would you be willing to share—just who are these people? To command this level of control… This old man was once a shinobi myself, but such a technique—I've never even heard of it!"

Kirigakure had no genjutsu or cursed seals anywhere near that level.

In Genji's heart, a frightening possibility stirred. Whoever was behind this… might be someone terrifying.

Kyoichi thought for a moment, then said:

"I don't recall if I mentioned it before. We don't yet have concrete proof, but we suspect… Uchiha Madara."

"U… Uchiha… Madara?"

Genji's voice faltered, his eyes flashing with shock and disbelief.

Are you kidding me?

That fossil? How could he possibly still be alive?

His mind went blank. After a few seconds, he finally muttered:

"That can't be… By all accounts, Madara died at the Valley of the End. Don't tell me there's some hidden truth behind that?"

Even outsiders knew a bit about Hashirama and Madara's relationship. Was it really impossible that Hashirama had let him live?

Kyoichi shook his head.

"Hashirama-sama didn't show mercy. But judging from what we've uncovered, it's likely that Madara had some secret technique tied to the Uchiha clan."

"I see… The Uchiha truly are a fearsome clan, fathomless as the deep."

Genji sighed—while slyly slipping in a jab aimed at Kyoichi's clan.

Kyoichi only smiled without comment.

Old fox. He was trying to sow discord between Konoha and the Uchiha.

As if that were even necessary.

Given the current state of things, the Uchiha wouldn't dare rebel. Especially now, with the possibility that Madara was still alive—and with no fondness for him.

They'd abandoned Madara back then. Now, in their hour of weakness, they remembered him again?

Madara not wiping them out was already generous.

At this point, the Uchiha were clinging to Konoha for dear life. If any clan member dared to walk away, Kyoichi would honestly applaud their courage.

"Forgive me, I was just lost in thought… remembering Madara's legend. Old men like me tend to wander off into the past."

Genji sighed, then continued, "If the enemy truly is Madara, that explains it. A man of his level—though our Mizukage is no slouch, to lose against him is no disgrace. But… do you know his purpose?"

"To be frank—no. We've gathered intelligence piece by piece, but we're not Madara. How could we know something so deeply hidden?"

"That's fair."

Genji fell silent again.

Madara…

He'd never expected to hear that name come from Kyoichi's mouth today. His thoughts were tangled, because Madara wasn't just a man—he was an era, a legend.

Having lived through that age of despair, Genji knew all too well what Madara and Hashirama represented.

Invincibility.

For their enemies, it meant hopelessness.

How do you defeat Madara?

They had studied that question endlessly—until news of Madara's death at the Valley of the End ended all speculation. And still, they had never found an answer.

Now, faced with the possibility that he still lived… Genji could only fall into heavy silence.

Only after a long pause did he finally ask:

"One thing puzzles me. Since you've chosen to act, does that mean you already have a way to deal with Madara? And… how has he survived this long?"

Madara was older than even him or Ōnoki by a whole generation. By now, a normal man should've been dust in his grave. Yet not only was Madara alive—he had the power to manipulate Kirigakure, to stir the entire shinobi world…

Had he mastered some kind of immortality?

"Try using your brain instead of bombarding me with questions—or I'll stop talking to you altogether."

Kyoichi took a deep breath.

Patience.

Don't get angry.

The man's an old geezer. No point wasting energy on him.

And besides—what did they expect? They weren't Madara. Even if they knew the truth, it would be a top-secret matter. As if they'd just hand it over to Kirigakure.

Elder Genji really had a thick face.

Then again… shamelessness was practically a requirement for village leadership.

"Uh…" Genji was caught off guard, realizing Kyoichi didn't want to pursue the topic further.

Clearly, trying to pry information out of him was pointless.

So he shifted the subject—to what really mattered.

Compensation.

What did Kyoichi want? That was the question pressing on him now.

And beyond that—could they actually form an alliance with Konoha?

That was equally crucial. But with Konoha's strength so overwhelming, a full alliance might not be in the Land of Water's best interests.

Genji was torn.

Kyoichi, however, was in no rush. He chatted idly, buying time, leaving Elder Genji more and more uneasy.

Until finally… Genji cracked first.

"Kyoichi-dono, even if we don't yet know Madara's current condition, one thing is certain—his hand has already reached into our village. We cannot just sit and wait for death. Would Konoha be willing to form an alliance with Kirigakure, to face Uchiha Madara together?"

"Of course. But just our two villages… might not be enough."

Kyoichi left it hanging.

Genji nodded after a moment's thought.

"True. With just us, we might not stand against Madara. We'll need to draw in the other villages, to forge a great alliance of the shinobi world."

"Not an easy task."

"Kirigakure will handle the outreach. But in terms of strength and prestige, our village isn't enough to lead such an effort. At that time, we'll need you and Konoha to take the front."

"That's no problem."

The two quickly reached an understanding, sharing a knowing smile.

Yes.

This was the right way forward.

When lightning strikes, everyone shoulders it together. They couldn't be the only ones to bear the burden while the rest sat on the sidelines watching the show.

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