Naruto: Fatherhood Made me Invincible

Hashirama Senju sighed, but said nothing. If he were in Madara's place, he wouldn't have been able to kill his own brother, Tobirama. He onl

Hashirama Senju sighed, but said nothing. If he were in Madara's place, he wouldn't have been able to kill his own brother, Tobirama. He only sighed because he knew that Madara would now be forced to obey the Sage's orders. He didn't know if it was right or wrong, but he had no right to interfere with Madara's choice.

Seeing the murderous intent in Madara's eyes, the Sage smiled. "Don't look at me like that. You brought this upon yourself. And I'm not afraid to tell you, this is merely a clone of mine. Even if you kill me, it will be useless." To prevent Madara from betraying him, he had to reveal that he was not in his true body. He believed that as long as Madara wasn't a complete fool, he wouldn't do something so stupid as to betray him now.

Madara's expression changed, just as the Sage had expected. Knowing that even if he killed the man before him, he could not save Izuna's soul, Madara suppressed his rage. His face was an icy mask as he said in a deep voice, "I can kill Kagami for you, but you must not harm Izuna's soul ."

"Of course," the Sage smiled faintly. He would agree for now. Whether he actually returned Izuna's soul was entirely up to him. From the moment Madara chose to obey, he had lost all bargaining power.

Madara knew this, but for Izuna's sake, he had to comply. The Sage's smile disgusted him, but he could only endure it.

Obito, who had been hoping for a fight, was extremely disappointed. But he knew he couldn't change the course of events, so he could only continue to wait for an opportunity.

At this time, Hashirama, seeing that the immediate conflict was over, dispelled his Thousand-Armed Buddha and turned to the Sage. "Why are you so obsessed with killing Kagami? And don't give us any more of your excuses." Even with his immense chakra, maintaining such a powerful technique was draining.

At his question, Obito and Madara also turned their gazes to the Sage.

"A reason?" The Sage's lips curled into a scornful smile. Now that his true nature had been exposed, he was tired of pretending. What did it matter if he told them the truth? They were just three pawns. Could they truly resist him, the grandmaster of this game?

"Of course," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance, "it's because he is too powerful. If I don't kill him, the entire ninja world will slip from my control." He glanced at the three of them before continuing, "I didn't lie to you before. He will indeed start a war that will affect the entire ninja world. However, after that war, the entire ninja world will be unified by him. All war in this world will completely end, and true peace will be achieved." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Although he will later launch wars of aggression against other times and spaces, it is undeniable that in this world, there will be no more war."

True peace?

The three legendary shinobi were stunned, their eyes filled with complex emotions. Hashirama had never expected that the peace he had pursued his entire life would be realized by this Uchiha Kagami. Though he disagreed with the idea of starting wars in other dimensions, the thought of true peace in his own world filled him with a deep, genuine happiness. His attitude towards Kagami changed completely in that moment.

Obito had never believed that true peace was possible in the real world; he thought it existed only in dreams. To know that it could be achieved... his conviction in the Infinite Tsukuyomi began to waver. But only for a moment. Am I truly for peace? he asked himself. No. I only want to create a world with Rin. In this world, Rin was dead. He didn't care if there was peace or not.

Madara, too, was stunned. He had sought to achieve eternal peace through the Infinite Tsukuyomi only because he had seen no other way. He had always known it was a false peace, a lie. But now, to know that true peace was possible, that it could be brought to the world without a grand illusion... his entire worldview was shaken. The pursuit of peace had been his obsession, the driving force behind decades of secret planning. But now... he was forced to wipe out the very hope of that peace with his own hands.

My brother's soul... or true peace?

The choice tore at him. But he quickly made his decision, his eyes hardening with a new, unwavering resolve. Izuna was already dead. The true peace they had both dreamed of was within reach. He could not let his personal feelings stand in the way. The choice was painful, but he did not regret it.

"Izuna, please forgive me," he thought, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. He had already decided. He would cooperate with the Sage, but at the critical moment, he would betray him, ally with Kagami, and kill the Sage of Six Paths. He now knew that as long as the Sage existed, he would always be an unstable element, a threat to true peace. Izuna could die. He could die. But they would not die in vain. His personal pain could not override the greater good. Kagami had to survive. Peace had to come.

The Sage of Six Paths had no idea that his words, meant to manipulate, had instead forged in Madara a new, unshakeable determination to oppose him. He had underestimated human nature. He had underestimated Uchiha Madara's unwavering dedication to the dream of peace.

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