All four of them walk out of the room.
Izuna turns towards Hashirama.
"Lord First, before you start, I have an important revelation for you."
"Well, it is nothing important. Go ahead."
Hashirama nods his head.
"Mom, Dad, I think it is about time to reveal the name of Grandfather.
Though, I already figured it out on my own. But still, I would like to listen it from your mouth."
Izuna's expression turns serious.
Sigh…
Akira takes a deep breath as he stares at Izuna's serious expression.
"Fine, I can't hide it anymore. One day or another, the truth will come in front of you."
"But… Akira-dear…"
Aiko holds Akira's hand.
"It's fine Aiko. Izuna deserves to know the truth of his heritage." Akira assures her.
He turns towards Izuna and Hashirama. He bows in front of Hashirama.
"Lord first, I apologize on behalf of my father, Madara Uchiha."
"What?!"
Hashirama eyes widen in surprise as he stares at Akira.
"As ridiculous as it may sound, but I am the son of Madara Uchiha and Izuna is the grandson of Madara Uchiha."
Akira takes a deep breath as he reveals the truth.
"I am sorry for hiding this truth from you. I did it for the safety of our family."
He turns towards Izuna and apologizes.
"Well, that took you long."
Izuna shakes his head.
"There is no need for any apology, Dad. I know you did it for our sake."
Izuna comforts Akira.
Ah!...
"Now after taking a close look at you. You do resemble Madara in his middle-age." Hashirama scrutinizes Akira.
"As for you… Hmm… your appearance does match with Madara's younger brother Izuna. You even share the same name as him."
"Yes, we named him after Uncle Izuna." Akira nods his head.
"I see… but still, I am curious to know about the identity of his wife. That guy was pretty dense; he never had any interest in any woman."
Hashirama curiously turns to Akira.
"Kasumi Uchiha! Mother's name is Kasumi Uchiha."
Akira reveals the name of his mother to Hashirama.
Hmm…
"Kasumi… Kasumi?! Where have I heard that name?"
Hashirama tries to recall the name.
"Yes, I remember now."
He bumps his fist on his palm as he recalls the name.
"Isn't she the little girl who would eavesdrop on Madara and me during our friendly spars?
She would usually treat Madara's wounds and would follow him around. But that dense friend of mine never paid any heed to her.
Well, can't blame him. It was the era of war and Madara shouldered the responsibility of Uchiha clan as the eldest son of clan leader. Haha…"
Hashirama laughs heartfully as he reminisce some old memories.
"Still, he never married her… So when?"
Hashirama turns towards Akira.
"Well…"
Akira forks out a scroll from his pocket.
"On her deathbed, mother passed this scroll to me with these parting words.
'When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred; much so for the Uchiha clan.
The loss of his younger brother was too deep for him to overcome.
Perhaps I was also blinded by my love that I failed to notice the hatred in his heart.'
Till that day, I held on it this letter and I could never bring myself to open this letter again."
Akira tightly clutches the scroll as tears flows from his eyes.
"I don't know what her words meant back then. But… but I could never bring myself to face the truth.
Maybe, this is the reason I am not as strong as father. I don't have a strong resolve like him."
"Father… weakness is not a sin; but staying weak is."
Izuna supports Akira.
"Thanks son."
Akira slowly opens the scroll as he reads its content.
'Son, if you are reading this again, then this means you have grown out from the shadow of your father.'
"Yes, Mother! I have a family now… a genius son and a loving daughter."
Akira wipes his tears as he continues to read the letter.
"Son, as much as it pains my heart to say this; but I believe your father isn't even aware of your existence. If he was, then I am sure he would have searched every corner of this world to get a glimpse of you."
"Mother!"
Akira gently touches the letter as a tear drop falls from his eye.
'I see. That makes sense. No wonder Grandfather made no attempt to search for his son. But what could be the reason for it?'
Izuna curiously stares at the letter.
Akira reads the contents of the letter aloud to Izuna and Hashirama.
"Hmm… I see. So, that's how it was. No wonder he was pissed when he fought against me."
Hashirama rubs his forehead.
"But still... to think that, he would face such circumstances."
Crack… crack…
Hashirama's edo body starts to glow brightly as it slowly dissipates.
"Looks like I don't have much time remaining, so I will relay some information about the person you fought against."
"Yes, Lord First." Izuna supports his father as he turns towards Hashirama.
"During the First Shinobi War, a number of shinobis died in the battle…"
Hashirama narrates the incident of his death to Izuna.
"So, Lord First? You mean to say that the same person is responsible for your death?"
Izuna asks Hashirama.
"Yes, I felt a similar chakra signature from the figure that attacked you."
Hashirama nods his head.
"But it has been almost forty years since your death. How could that person be still alive, if he was responsible for your death?"
Izuna curiously questions Hashirama.
'Jigen pretty much lived a thousand years; but still I want to hear the thoughts of Hashirama Senju.'
"Well… I have no idea about that." Hashirama scratches his head.
He grabs Izuna's hand as his eyes shine brightly.
"I can't entrust the responsibility of leading the village to Tsuna; but if you help her, then I can rest easy."
Ah…
"I think Tsunade-san is doing a great job."
Izuna scratches his head as he laughs awakardly.
Haha…
"That's good."
Hashirama nods his head.
"But still… don't let her ruin the village." Hashirama clutches his hands tightly.
Whoosh…
Hashirama's edo body slowly dissipates.
Sigh…
Izuna takes a deep breath and turns to his parents.
"Let's meet with the rest of the people."
The group returns to the room.
Whoosh…
An anbu member flickers in the room and bows in front of Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama. It's about time…"
"I see."
Tsunade nods her head.
She slowly walks out of the room.
"Funeral ceremony?!"
Izuna questioningly turns towards the people in the room.
"We lost Lord Third."
Yagami closes his eyes as he answers.
'I see. So, some things will never change.'
"I will join you later."
Izuna sits beside Mei as the rest of the people depart from the room.
Izuna gently caresses Ayaka's head as he silently sits there.
"You are hiding something from me."
Mei notices his expression.
"No… no, I am not."
Izuna immediately shakes his head.
'I want to share my worries with her, but I can't inform her about my encroaching death, at least not yet. She has yet to overcome the grief of loss of our child.'
"Keep her company. I will return soon."
Izuna stands and walks towards the door.
Whoosh….
In the Leaf Village Cemetery,
The members of the various clans are gathered in black clothes as they mourn for the loss.
Tsunade walks in front of the group as she addresses the ceremony.
"When a person dies, he disappears, along with his past life, current lifestyle, and his future. Lord Third is no different. He was kind, loving, caring, compassionate and most of all protective."
Tsunade closes her eyes as she reminisces her time with Hiruzen.
"He weaved the bonds of faith, trust and love in our heart to create this family of Konoha."
Crackle… crackle…
Omnious dark clouds gather in the sky as rain falls on the group.
Tsunade slowly raises her head as she faces the sky.
"Looks like even the heavens are mourning the loss of our beloved Third Hokage.
Saruto Sensei sacrificed his life to protect the village. He has passed down his burning desire to protect the village in the form of Will of Fire."
"I will miss the grumpy old man."
Naruto grabs Izuna's sleeves as he has tears in his eyes.
Sigh…
Izuna takes a deep breath as he pats Naruto's head.
"Naruto!... Every person has goals and dreams. We dedicate our entire life in pursuit of these dreams. But everyone has someone important to them… parents, siblings, friends, lovers. These people trust you and help you achieve your goals.
These bonds are formed at the time of birth and they grow thicker as time goes by."
Izuna closes his eyes as the contents of his grandmother's letter resonate in his ears.
Fifty-five years ago,
In a small village in Land of Rice Paddies,
Outside a small hut,
Chop… chop…
A man in his early thirties is chopping some firewood.
Huff… huff…
He raises his head and wipes the sweat.
The man has spiky, long black hair with a slight blue tint to them. There are prominent creases under his eyes.
Chop… chop…
He continues to chop the firewood.
"Here! Have some water, Madara-sama."
A fair-skinned woman with long, straight black hairs walks out of the hut. Her long black hairs parts into bangs and frame her cheeks and black eyes. There is a small beauty mole under her right eye.
She hands over a glass of water to the man.
Gulp… gulp…
The man gulps down the water. He picks up the axe and continues to chop the firewood.
"Kasumi! Sometimes, I think that living such a life in this remote area ain't that bad."
"Madara- sama! For me every day is a blessing as long as I have you."
Hah…
Madara swings his axe and chops the last firewood.
Kasumi wipes his sweat as he sits beside her.
"Perhaps leaving the village wasn't that bad of an idea. The uneasy feeling I felt in the village is slowly fading away. People changes with time and circumstance, maybe I am still holding on to my old views and can't see the light in Hashirama's idea."
Madara shakes his head.
"No matter what decision you make, I will always support you."
Kasumi nods her head.
Mm…
Madara picks up his axe and walks towards the forest.
"Let me hunt some wild boar for dinner."
Whoosh…
He disappears in the forest.
"Madara-Sama!"
Kasumi closes her eyes as she reminisce some old memories.
"It has been two years since Madara-sama had a fallout with Lord Hashirama.
Out of fear or respect, the clan members offered the position of clan leader to him, which he declined.
I can't blame him; many clansmen secretly accused him as an evil person who murdered his brother to steal his eyes."
Kasumi shakes her head as she enters the hut.
"I will make preparations for the dinner."
Whoosh….
A white figure pops out from the ground. There are Venus- flytraps like protrusions exuding out from its body.
"Found them."
Zetsu stares at the hut for a while.
"Quite a lonely place to live in." He murmurs to himself.
Whoosh…
He enters into the ground and disappears.
Swoosh…
White Zetsu pops out at a nearby place.
"Oye Black! I found them out."
Swirl…
A black mass rises from the ground and wraps around White Zetsu's body.
"You already know what to do next."
The Black Zetsu speaks in a heavy tone.
"Of course…"
White Zetsu nods his head.
"Let's welcome Madara-sama. Kuku…"
Whoosh…
Both of them disappear into the ground.
-------------------
Somewhere at outskirts of Iwagakure,
Whoosh…
Zetsu pops out from the ground.
Swirl…
Black Zetsu separates from his body.
Crack… crack…
White Zetsu's body starts to expand as his bodily features changes slowly.
The protrusions on his body disappear as his skin gains an even tone and facial features appear on his body.
An Iwa headband, together with a flak-jacket, appears on his body.
Hmm…
White Zetsu checks his body and nods his head.
"The chakra signature and the body proportion are perfect. It is time to play some games. Kuku…."
He slowly walks towards the Iwa entrance.
"Stop right there!"
A loud voice greets Zetsu.
Hmm…
Zetsu raises his head as his eyes meet with the village guards.
Another nearby guard closes his eyes and senses Zetsu's chakra.
"I am sorry, Daichin-sama."
The guard bows his head and apologizes to Zetsu.
"It's fine. The safety of the village is our priority. I have some vital information to report to Lord First; so I will be on my way."
Whoosh…
Zetsu flickers inside the village.
A few moments later,
Swoosh…
Zetsu in Daichin's form flickers out of Iwagakure with a bunch of other shinobis.
"We have to deal with Madara Uchiha as soon as possible. He is away from the leaf village and it is an ideal opportunity to get rid of him, when he is alone." Daichin addresses them.
"Yes! Daichin-sama." The group nods their head.
Daichin passes a map to one of the Iwa shinobi.
"Lord First has assigned another task to me. So, all of you have to move without me. Is there any problem?"
He scrutinizes them.
"No! Daichin-sama." The shinobi shakes their head.
"Good." Daichin nods his head and flickers in the nearby forest.
Whoosh…
Zetsu transforms back into his original form and enters in the ground.
Swoosh…
He pops out at a nearby place and unites with Black Zetsu.
"Is it done?" Black Zetsu questions him.
"Yes, of course! These shinobis are a bunch of low intelligence creature. They are so easy to fool. Kuku…" White Zetsu laughs smugly.
"The job isn't done yet. These people aren't enough. They won't even act as a distraction." Black Zetsu replies in a monotone voice.
"Let's visit other hidden villages."
Swoosh…
He sticks around White Zetsu's body as both of them disappear in ground.
----------------
A few days later,
In the Land of Rice Paddies,
"I will hunt for some rabbits. It has been a while since I had some rabbit stew."
Madara picks up his axe and flickers in the forest.
"Then, I will make necessary arrangements."
Kasumi nods her head and enters the hut.
She rubs her belly as a shy expression appears on her face.
"How should I tell him?"
A few moments later,
Various shinobis from Iwa, Kuma, Kiri, and Suna gather in front of the hut.
Whoosh…. Whoosh…
They draw their weapons as they get ready to strike each other.
"You Kuma scum, what are you doing here?" The leader of the Iwa group confronts Kuma leader.
"I could ask the same from you?"
The Suna group also draws their weapons.
"Hold on!"
The leader of the Kiri group stops them.
"If I am correct, then all of our goals align with each other. We Kiri shinobis are here to deal with Madara Uchiha."
The group stops their fight as they reach an agreement.
"Yesterday's enemy is today's friend. Fine, Iwa will co-operate with you."
"Suna will help too."
"Humph… Fine! Kiri will co-operate too."
"Then… let's get rid of Madara Uchiha." The Kiri leader stares at the hut.
"Sensor Ninjas sniff him out."
The Iwa leader orders the sensor unit.
The sensor ninja closes their eyes as they sense Madara's location.
The group splits into two as the smaller group surrounds the hut.
The larger group dashes towards the forest.
Whoosh…
The Kiri leader separates from the rest of the group.
Crack… crack…
He shapeshifts into White Zetsu and enters in ground and unites with the Black Zetsu.
"The preparations are complete."
Black Zetsu nods his head.
"Just get rid of the woman. She is his weakness. As long as she is alive; he will overcome his curse of hatred. He doesn't need any emotional attachments to reach his full potential." Black Zetsu orders White Zetsu.
"Very well!" White Zetsu enters in ground.
----------
Inside the forest,
"That makes it three."
Madara hunts another rabbit as he walks back towards the hut.
"Living such a life ain't that bad. Izuna, my brother! I will live for your sake, too. You entrusted me with your eyes to watch this world."
Madara is lost in his thoughts as he slowly walks towards the hut.
Hmm…
Whoosh… swish… swish…
He jumps back and performs a summersault and avoids a barrage of kunai.
Madara raises his head and notices the shinobi from other villages.
"So, you weaklings finally decided to cooperate."
Madara places down his game as he riles up his chakra.
"You had the entire world to live; yet you choose this remote place for your grave."
Whoosh…
He disappears from his place and reappears behind the group.
Slash… slash… Splash…
Fountain of blood rises in the air as the heads of enemies rolls down.
"Let's dance."
------------
Half an hour later,
Madara wipes his hands as he stares at the remaining shinobis.
"You monster!"
The leader of the Iwa group slowly raises his head as his body is soaked in blood.
"It seems that you still want to dance but… You will not be able to make steps anymore."
Slash…
He picks up his hunt and walks towards the hut.
"After that exercise, I am quite hungry. Kasumi's rabbit stew is quite delicious."
Hmm…
He raises his head as the scent of blood permeates in air.
Madara's expression turns serious as he flickers towards the hut.
"This is…"
His eyes widen as the hut is lit on fire.
"KASUMI!"
Madara immediately makes some hand signs.
"Water Style: Water Torrent"
He extinguishes the fire and search for Kasumi.
"Madara-sama!"
A weak and frail voice fell in Madara's ear.
Whoosh…
Madara flickers towards the forest and notices the blood-soaked body of Kasumi resting against a boulder.
"Madara-sama!"
Kasumi calls weakly.
"I am here, Kasumi." Madara quickly approaches her and holds her hand.
"Everything will be alright, Kasumi!"
Tears appear in his eyes as the memory of Izuna's death flashes in front of him.
Haah…
He picks her up and dashes towards the village.
"There is a doctor in the village. Everything will be alright."
He holds her hand. Madara reaches the nearby village and yells.
"Doctor! Doctor! please treat her. Her condition is serious."
An old man with a walking stick and white tunic walks out of a house.
Madara slowly places Kasumi down as the doctor examines her condition.
"It's too late." The doctor shakes his head.
"NO!… there must be another way."
Madara breaks down as he clutches the collar of the doctor.
"Examine her again. She can't die."
The old doctor shakes his head.
"She is already dead."
The doctor closes his eyes.
"NO!"
Madara releases a scream of pain as he picks up Kasumi's body.
Crackle… crackle…
Dark cloud looms in the sky as the rain drizzle on his face.
"How good can there be in power if you cannot protect those you love?"
Clang… clang…
He slowly digs up a grave as he gently places the cold body of Kasumi.
"Kasumi!... I am all alone again."
Madara closes his eyes as a drop of tear trickles down from his eye.
He turns around and slowly walks away.
--------------
A few hours later,
Rumble… rumble…
The ground around the grave shakes as a hand appears out from the grave.
"Aw man! It is a terrible feeling to get buried alive."
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