[Konoha, The Courtyard In The Center Of The Village]
Arisu and Kakuzu had bought a courtyard located in the center of Konoha.
The two stood together quietly watching Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who were innocently playing together in the courtyard.
The two were already two years old.
But people in the ninja world matured early in general, and the two already looked like they had started understanding things.
Jiraiya was lively and careless.
Orochimaru was calm and quiet.
Their personalities were already becoming clear.
"Old master, are you planning to send the two of them to the Ninja Academy?", Kakuzu asked.
Arisu nodded slightly. "Being a ninja is a good path in this world. You understand."
Kakuzu nodded after hearing that. "Being an ordinary civilian is fine too, but the upper limit for ninjas is higher."
Suddenly, Kakuzu gave a strange smile.
"Old master, you're not thinking about raising them to become Hokage, are you?" Kakuzu asked with a smile.
Arisu smiled faintly with his hands behind his back. "That depends on them."
The afternoon sunlight spilled into the courtyard, warm and comfortable.
Jiraiya held a small branch and ran wildly all over the yard, chasing butterflies one moment and squatting on the ground digging through dirt the next.
When he got tired from running, he immediately threw himself beside Arisu and Kakuzu's legs, raising his round little face asking for food.
"Grandpa Kakuzu, I want something to eat~", Two-year-old Jiraiya looked up and said.
Orochimaru quietly sat on the stone steps, playing with a fallen leaf in his small hands. His eyes were calm, and from beginning to end he barely spoke, only occasionally glancing at the wildly running Jiraiya.
Kakuzu took out two pieces of cake from inside the house and handed them to the two children.
"Yay!"
Jiraiya immediately jumped up and grabbed one, stuffing it into his mouth while wolfing it down, crumbs sticking all around the corners of his mouth.
Orochimaru gently took his piece instead and slowly ate it in small bites, acting steady and composed.
Arisu smiled and raised his hand, wiping the crumbs off Jiraiya's face before patting Orochimaru on the head.
"Eat slowly..."
Jiraiya shouted unclearly through the rice cake in his mouth, "Grandpa, Orochimaru and I are going to play."
After speaking, he grabbed Orochimaru's hand again, wanting to drag him into the yard to play together.
Orochimaru did not refuse and simply let himself be pulled along, slowly following behind.
Kakuzu looked at the two children's backs and quietly said to Arisu, "Their personalities are completely different, but they can still play together."
Arisu looked at the two little kids playing in the courtyard, his expression gentle. "Slowly. There's still a long road ahead."
Since the two had grown up together from childhood, their relationship should become much better than in the original story.
"The outside world has stopped fighting. This unprecedented war has finally ended..."
Kakuzu raised his head and looked at the sky. The sky was completely clear.
Arisu also nodded and looked at the sky. "Tomorrow will be better."
———
[Deep Inside The Uchiha Clan District Of Konoha.]
A secret room was tightly sealed by thick stone walls. It was so dark that no sunlight could enter through the barriers.
Uchiha Madara quietly sat on an old wooden chair, his eyes empty and lifeless, his whole body wrapped in lingering despair.
Suddenly, the wooden door was gently pushed open. Senju Hashirama stepped inside, his heavy gaze landing on Madara and staying there for a long time.
"Hashirama... why did you come? How is the war now?"
Uchiha Madara slowly asked in a hoarse and dry voice filled with exhaustion.
Looking at him like this, Senju Hashirama could not help sighing softly before slowly speaking, "Madara, the war is over."
Hearing this, Uchiha Madara's pupils shook violently. His fingers unconsciously tightened hard enough that it almost crushed the armrest in his grip.
He did not need to think much to understand that this ceasefire was definitely peace brought about by Hashirama.
"The villagers all see you as the chief culprit who started the war. They all pressured me to lock you in prison."
Senju Hashirama's expression was complicated, his tone filled with helplessness and conflict as he continued, "At first, the people were furious and even demanded your execution."
"After all, you led the children of every clan onto the battlefield and caused countless families to lose their loved ones."
"But considering that you are Uchiha Tajima's son and the grandson of the First Hokage, the clan elders finally discussed it and decided to imprison you for now."
Uchiha Madara remained silent for a long time. The atmosphere around him became even heavier before he finally said in a low voice, "If I had been the victor today, the ending would definitely not have been like this."
"Madara, you are not a hero.", Senju Hashirama sighed.
Uchiha Madara slowly closed his eyes, his expression calm as he looked toward Senju Hashirama. "Hashirama, what are your plans?"
Senju Hashirama answered immediately without hesitation, his tone extremely firm. "I will never lay a hand on you. You are the brother I acknowledged in this life!"
"But I also cannot completely go against the will of the people. I can only arrange for you to stay in the Uchiha Naka Shrine. You'll quietly live there in the future, accompanying the ancestors of the Uchiha and the Sage of Six Paths."
"I'll order people to take good care of you so you'll never worry about food or clothing and can live peacefully."
This was the final decision Senju Hashirama made after repeatedly thinking it over.
Uchiha Madara slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes fixed on Senju Hashirama's face.
The side effects of the Mangekyo had reached the point where even Madara could no longer clearly see Hashirama's appearance.
Madara's gaze landed on Hashirama's graying temples, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
"Hashirama, you've gotten old."
Hearing this, endless emotion and the feeling of passing years flashed through Senju Hashirama's eyes as he softly replied, "Madara, I've already become a grandfather..."
After that, the two sat side by side, casually talking about old memories from the past.
"Cough cough cough!"
Senju Hashirama suddenly began coughing violently. His thin shoulders trembled slightly, and his originally sturdy appearance showed some weakness as he slowly spoke.
"We're both old now. We don't have much time left."
"How is Tobirama?"
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Madara suddenly asked.
Senju Hashirama gently shook his head. His tone was calm but carried some loneliness. "The same as you. He's confined within the Senju clan grounds and will never be allowed to step outside again in this life."
Hearing this, Uchiha Madara could not help sighing softly as he muttered in a low voice, "So that's how it is..."
———
[Valley Of The End, Camp]
[Inside A Tent]
Danzo stared unwillingly at the ceasefire agreement.
"No! Why stop the war!?"
"Why!? Everyone's blood was spilled for nothing, and in the end we got a ceasefire!?"
"Why was Lord Madara removed from office!? Why was Lord Tobirama removed from office!?"
Danzo slammed the table and roared angrily.
Danzo could not accept it. He and Hiruzen Sarutobi had fought bitterly on the Kumogakure battlefield. So many Konoha ninjas had died, and in the end it was all exchanged for a ceasefire?
"The Second Hokage Senju Hashirama is truly foolish!", Danzo angrily shouted.
Beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly covered Danzo's mouth. "Danzo, do you have a death wish!?"
Danzo's face was full of anger.
He was a firm supporter of Uchiha Madara and Tobirama. When Uchiha Madara decided to launch unrestricted warfare, Danzo fully supported it and believed it should have been done that way.
It should have been done without caring about methods.
But Senju Hashirama launched a coup, stripped away the Hokage position, and imprisoned Lord Madara.
Danzo was furious inside. 'So many people had died, so much blood had been spilled, and this was the final result?!'