Crisis of Confidence

(Edited)

Uchiha Kagami hurriedly left the school and rushed to the residence of the Uchiha clan. When passing the street, he clearly heard the people on the street talking about Uchiha Madara's defection. Although reason told him that it was impossible, so many people were talking about it that he couldn't dismiss it as groundless. No matter what the truth was, something serious must have happened within the clan.

Uchiha Kagami was anxious, he wished he could return to his residence instantly. Fortunately, Konoha Ninja Village was not very big at this time, and he soon arrived at the Uchiha clan residence.

At this time, some members of Uchiha were talking about something. Seeing Uchiha Kagami stepping forward, they rushed up and spoke all at once, making it difficult for Uchiha Kagami to figure out what they were saying. However, he understood one thing—patriarch Uchiha Madara had indeed left the village.

Uchiha Kagami asked others to be quiet, assuring them he would deal with the matter soon. As the young patriarch of the Uchiha clan, he had a certain prestige, and the members of Uchiha clan calmed down, making way for him to find the clan's elder members.

Soon, Uchiha Kagami got the whole story. The patriarch Uchiha Madara had been staying in the basement of Naka Shrine for the past few days. The First Hokage, Hashirama, had come to talk to Madara but left with a solemn expression. While the others were unsettled, Madara suddenly appeared and expressed his hope that the whole clan could leave Konoha Ninja Village.

After the establishment of Konoha Ninja Village, the Uchiha clan had gradually tired of the life of fighting and killing and settled into a peaceful existence. Madara, however, had always held radical views, which were at odds not only with the Senju clan led by Hashirama but also with many members within his own clan.

As early as when Hashirama initiated a large-scale marriage, Madara insisted on rejecting Hashirama's marriage proposal. The members of the clan couldn't understand why Madara would pass up such a good opportunity to improve relations with the Senju clan. The subsequent conflicts between Madara and Hashirama made the clan feel that Madara was still hostile to the Senju clan and had refused their goodwill. As a result, tensions between the two clans rose again.

Under such circumstances, the Uchiha clan's respect for Madara slowly faded. But now, with Madara wanting everyone to leave the village, how could the Uchiha, who were tired of conflict and did not want to face an uncertain future, agree?

Seeing that no one wanted to leave with him, Madara said nothing and simply turned and left. While others worried about what radical actions he might take, Madara left the village alone.

People in the clan said that when Madara left, he was wearing red armor and carrying his gunbai and scythe, seemingly heading for a confrontation. This suggested he intended to oppose the first Hokage no matter what.

Uchiha Kagami felt his heart turn cold. He never thought Uchiha Madara would do such a thing and couldn't comprehend his intentions. He only knew that the Uchiha clan was in serious trouble.

In less than half a day, news of Uchiha Madara's departure spread throughout Konoha Ninja Village. While every ninja clans was surprised, they also expressed concern for the village's future.

When Hashirama shook hands with Madara to establish Konoha Ninja Village, it symbolized his sincerity—if they could forgive even their mortal enemies and hope to coexist, then other ninja clans had nothing to fear. Many joined the village believing in this harmony.

However, Madara's departure shattered that trust—if two mortal enemies couldn't coexist, what hope was there for the rest? Had Konoha Ninja Village not been established for nearly nine years, fostering harmonious relations among the ninja clans, the village might have already faced the threat of division.

Even so, the seeds of division had been planted. If the First Hokage, Hashirama, failed to handle the fallout from Madara's departure properly, these seeds would eventually sprout and grow, undoing his hard work.

Every ninja clan was watching, waiting for Hashirama to take a stand. They genuinely liked Konoha Ninja Village and didn't want it to split.

Tobirama was furious. He had always viewed Konoha as something worth protecting, a vision he shared with his brother. Now, it seemed, Madara was trying to destroy everything they had worked for.

Previously, he had only been wary of Madara's thoughts, not having a good impression of him. Now, His wariness of Madara had deepened into outright disgust. He looked at Hashirama's serious face and found his dislike for Uchiha Madara growing. Even so, he understood the need to manage the situation wisely, with the mess Madara left behind.

Because of their past blood feud, he didn't have a good impression of the Uchiha clan. But considering Hashirama's ideals, he was still willing to treat the Uchiha as part of the village. While Madara had problems, other clan members were still reasonable.

Children like Uchiha Kagami were very endearing. If everyone in the Uchiha clan were like Uchiha Kagami, he wouldn't have to worry.

"Nii-sama, to handle this matter, we must separate Madara and the Uchiha clan," Tobirama said to his elder brother, Hashirama. "His departure is his alone—it does not reflect a betrayal by the entire clan. We need to make that clear to everyone."

"Madara did not betray the village," Hashirama said after a moment of silence. "He just doesn't want to stay here."

"That's not how the others see it," Tobirama countered. "In their eyes, Madara abandoned the village and its principles. They see him as a traitor."

Hashirama sighed, unable to refute his brother's words.

"It's not just us, Nii-sama. Even the Uchiha family must distance themselves from Madara," Tobirama continued. "The Uchiha must assert that this was Madara's personal action and that they never intended to abandon the village. Uchiha Kagami has assured me many times that they will always support the village."

"Then we'll proceed as you suggested," Hashirama agreed reluctantly. He had lost a good friend and couldn't let his hard work go to waste too.

Tobirama nodded. His brother Hashirama was wise in such matters. "Since six years ago, the relationship between the Uchiha and Senju clans has become tense due to Madara. We cannot let someone like Madara destroy everything. A patriarch must be someone who wants to strengthen ties with the village."

Though Tobirama's words about Madara displeased Hashirama, Madara's actions had indeed hurt him. Tobirama's subsequent words gave him hope. He still wanted to preserve the friendship between the Uchiha and Senju clans.

"I remember Madara's heir is Uchiha Kagami," Hashirama recalled. "He is a good boy. If he were the leader, he would surely promote friendship between Uchiha and Senju."

"There are issues within the Uchiha clan," Tobirama cautioned. "Some feel that to show their loyalty to the village, they must not associate with Madara, and that Uchiha Kagami is unfit to be the patriarch."

"What nonsense!" Hashirama exclaimed. He realized that some were dissatisfied with Uchiha Kagami's stance as the heir. He knew the real issue was not Kagami's qualifications, but the lingering resentment some held toward Madara's leadership. At this time, their arguments seemed reasonable and hit a sore spot for Uchiha Kagami.

"According to the agreement between the village and the ninja clans, the Hokage cannot interfere in internal clan affairs. If the Uchiha clan revokes Uchiha Kagami's heir status, we can't intervene," Tobirama said, looking into Hashirama's eyes. "Nii-sama, if you want to ensure the friendship between Senju and Uchiha, you need to take a stand."

Hashirama looked at his younger brother and nodded. As the patriarch of the Senju clan and the First Hokage, only he could handle this situation. He would act.