Hashirama read the letter twice, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upward.
"Madara, that guy... as expected, he still carries that dream from back then..."
Hashirama did not speak right away. He simply folded the letter back up and put it inside his clothes.
Tobirama walked over from the other end of the corridor. Seeing the expression on his elder brother's face, he paused slightly. "The reply came?"
"Mm." Hashirama handed the letter over.
Tobirama took it and quickly scanned those few lines, his brows furrowing slightly. "The tone is as harsh as ever. Really irritating, but... he agreed."
"Yeah."
Hashirama leaned against the back of the chair and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the window.
Tobirama returned the letter, his voice calm. "One month. That's enough time for us to settle the wounded, reinforce the defenses, and take stock of our supplies."
"It's also enough time for the Uchiha to do the same. Big Brother, how do you plan to arrange the exchange of the bodies?"
"As soon as possible."
"As long as Father's body doesn't come back, the people in the clan won't be able to settle down. Madara's side... should feel the same way."
Hashirama stood up, his voice carrying a trace of unquestionable resolve.
That very noon, Hashirama personally wrote a second letter. Its contents were short and clear: three days later, both sides would each send ten people to a neutral river valley to exchange the bodies.
No large weapons were allowed, no Kekkei Genkai could be used, and there would be no fighting, only an exchange.
After the letter was sent, waves immediately spread through the Senju clan lands.
In the council hall, several elders from the hardline faction nearly pounded the table in opposition.
"Clan Head! What use is keeping those Uchiha bodies? Throwing them into the fire and burning them would be better than returning them!"
"That's right! Lord Butsuma's body must be brought back, but we absolutely cannot do it this way. This is showing weakness!"
Hashirama sat in the main seat and quietly listened to all their angry shouting before slowly speaking. "Showing weakness?"
He raised his hand, palm facing upward.
The next moment, a slender branch silently rose from the ground, circled once around his fingertips, then quietly sank back into the earth.
The entire hall fell silent.
"I am the clan head now."
"I won't waste the opening Father bought with his life on pointless arguments over pride. I decided on the exchange of the bodies. Anyone who objects can step forward now.", Hashirama spoke steadily.
No one dared say anything else.
Three days later, the neutral river valley.
The morning mist was still heavy.
On the Senju side, Hashirama personally led the group. He brought only nine elite shinobi, along with Tobirama.
None of them carried any unnecessary weapons, only basic protective gear.
The Uchiha arrived a little later.
Madara walked at the front. The bandages on his left arm had not yet been removed, but his Mangekyo Sharingan was not activated.
Both sides stopped in the middle of the river valley, about thirty paces apart.
There was only the sound of the wind and the water flowing in the distance.
Hashirama spoke first, his voice calm. "Madara. Long time no see."
Madara looked at him, his expression complicated. "...You've become the clan head."
"So have you."
Madara did not respond. He only raised his chin, signaling the people behind him to carry the coffin forward. The Senju also stepped forward at the same time.
The coffins were exchanged in the middle.
At the moment the coffins were truly handed over to the other side, the young shinobi on both sides subconsciously clenched their fists.
Some had reddened eyes, some gritted their teeth, but no one dared make the first move.
Hashirama stepped forward and personally took his father's coffin.
The two were silent for several seconds at the same time.
The wind passed through the river valley, blowing the mist thinner.
Madara suddenly raised his eyes and looked directly at Hashirama. "One month from now, here again. We're going to have a big fight. You'd better think about what you're going to do."
Hashirama looked at him and said softly, unable to hold himself back. "Madara, I'm not here to beg you. I'm here to tell you that we can take another path."
Madara did not answer. He simply turned around and left with his people.
"Madara... I..."
Senju Hashirama opened his mouth unwillingly, but with his clan members all here, he could only close it in the end.
Izuna walked at the back and looked back at Hashirama.
After the exchange ended, both sides returned separately.
The Senju clan lands held a formal funeral for Butsuma.
Hashirama personally buried his father at the highest point of the back mountain of the clan lands.
He did not say much, only standing in front of the gravestone for a long time.
Tobirama stood beside him and did not speak from beginning to end.
After the funeral ended, Hashirama summoned all the elders and mid-ranking shinobi to the council hall.
"From today onward, for one month, no one is allowed to launch an attack on their own."
"Border patrols will continue as usual, but retreat immediately upon contact. The wounded take priority for treatment, and supplies will be redistributed. Three days from now, I want a complete report on casualties and inventory.", Senju Tobirama said indifferently.
Someone asked in a low voice, "Vice Clan Head, one month from now... what if the Uchiha go back on their word?"
Hashirama looked at that person, his gaze gentle but carrying pressure. "If they go back on their word, I'll personally go ask Madara."
"If he still wants to fight, then we'll fight. But before that, we'll first do everything we can to keep as many people alive as possible."
No one objected again.
———
[The Uchiha Clan Lands]
Another argument broke out in the council hall.
"Clan Head! You really want to make peace with them for a month? This is a disgrace!"
"Lord Tajima's death hasn't been avenged, and you already want to sit down and negotiate with the Senju?!"
"What if they use this chance to recover, then launch a full-scale counterattack after one month?"
Madara sat in the main seat. Only after listening to all their angry shouting did he slowly raise his head.
The Mangekyo Sharingan slowly opened.
The entire hall instantly fell silent.
"I've said it before."
"One month. Anyone who attacks without permission, I'll kill them myself.", Madara said coldly.
At this point, Madara had not yet established his authority within the clan, and there were still many old-timers who refused to accept him.
"I don't trust Hashirama. I trust my own eyes. If he dares deceive me, I'll make him regret it."
Uchiha Madara added another sentence to keep the elders from losing face.
The elders looked at one another and could only remain silent in the end.
Izuna stood beside Madara and supported his brother unconditionally.
———
One month passed both slowly and quickly.
On the Senju side, the wounded were gathered and settled, and the border defenses were reinforced three times.
Tobirama worked almost without sleep to handle clan affairs, reorganizing the originally chaotic supplies and manpower.
Hashirama went to the training grounds every day to personally instruct the young shinobi. Sometimes he would also walk alone to the cliff where he had been with Madara before.
On the Uchiha side, Madara reorganized all the forces that could be mobilized.
He did not lower his guard, but he also strictly enforced the ceasefire order.
Izuna was responsible for calming the emotions within the clan. Several times, he almost came into conflict with the elders from the hardline faction, but Madara suppressed the disputes.
Both sides were waiting.
Waiting for the final day of that one month.
———
Time came to the final day, and the two sides went to war.
Because the hatred between the two clans was too deep, it simply could not be resolved just because Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had risen to power.
Unless one side beat the other into submission, and with the right time, place, and people, could reconciliation be achieved.
And even if it really could be resolved, Arisu would not allow it, because Arisu was the Guardian of Reincarnation. Izuna had to die, and only afterward could Konoha be established.