HAD MADARA BEEN REVIVED EARLIER, THE BATTLES WOULD BE MORE SOPHISTICATED. A blessing in disguise that his dance with Hashirama came to an end, really. Hashirama’s system was on full display in this chaotic plane, and has only served to further prove that the way of the Senju does not work at all. SUCH IRONY. The only time true unification did not had to be bribed by selling Tailed Beasts was when Madara became the sole enemy. Madara flicks his wrist and all the nations rush to ally themselves unto the bitter end.
The lack of sight bothered him not an ounce. Sensory perception at its peak colours his spirit like a finely laid out map, forming vibrant silhouettes in his mind. Though Naruto and Sai were mere fodder, Madara took no chances. He moved systematically, quickly, clearing them out like swiping away flies ere he makes for Hashirama. The Senjutsu chakra was only slightly rejuvenating, so pitiful that it fed into his mind’s narrative of how low Hashirama has fallen. An undead body, an unlimited pool of chakra, but poor sentiments made for poor vessels of power.
Madara does not forget the presence who was of the same ilk. He had saved the best for last, after all. Though bearing no hope that he will earn himself an ally, he shares some humour to test Sasuke’s true intent. But, Madara shan’t fall for any sort of emotional cunning. No, not when true peace was only few moments away!
❝You feel exceptionally bothered, Sasuke.
Are you mesmerised by your superior?❞
After living most of his life thinking he was alone, the only one left, all of this felt like a cruel joke. Here was yet another Uchiha, and he was doing his very best to make all these present shinobi put him down. Worse, Sasuke knew that he, himself, would also have to kill Madara if he can’t reason with him. And since when has reasoning ever helped with an Uchiha?
He watched Naruto and Sai getting swatted away without Madara even breaking a sweat. The lack of his eyes was clearly no hindrance for this unbridaled rage. Sasuke watched, and it was when Madara absorbed the Senju chakra, Sasuke knew it was time to stop hoping for the impossible and just take action. Otherwise, the clan leader will grow even stronger than he already was.
“Why is this not enough for you?” Sasuke hated how his hurt was audible in his voice. His moments of emotional vulnerability were so rare, yet whenever they occured, they were so strong. ‘This’, it was seeing a family member alive and well after long periods of suffering and isolation. Why was Sasuke not enough for him? What was he living for? What did he survive for if the last Uchiha just planned to get rid of this reality? What was the point of any of this?
“You don’t need to do this. If you stop, I won’t kill you.” Not very threatening, considering Madara clearly overpowered him, but Sasuke had to have Naruto hear this and make a clear position in this chaotic entanglement of affiliations and moral alignments. Because Sasuke knew how fruitless this attempt was going to be, he drew Kusanagi.
