MTLNOVEL Chapter 103: Chapter 103: We Must Stop Madara!
Chapter 103: We Must Stop Madara!
Uchiha Kagami glanced downward, raising a finger and making a swift motion.
A black spear shot through the air, piercing Ōtsutsuki Toneri, severing his remaining life force completely.
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Hashirama frowned.
Although not one to hesitate in battle, Hashirama had refrained from killing Toneri outright. He had been holding back, hoping to learn more about this strange opponent.
Kagami's abrupt execution, without so much as a word, unsettled him.
Leaping down, Hashirama retrieved a sealing scroll and stored Toneri's corpse.
"Not everyone deserves a place in the spiritual domain," Kagami remarked coolly, "This guy is barely worth a storage scroll."
Watching Kagami's practiced ease in killing and storing his opponent, Hashirama felt a pang of discomfort.
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"Hey…"
"Mirror… Uh, Kagami? Is it alright if I call you that? After all, I am technically your elder—"
"Cut the nonsense."
"Uh…"
Hashirama's expression wavered, unsure whether to feel insulted or amused.
"Fine! Straight to the point then," he said, his expression growing serious. "Why did you kill members of the village? Why did you kill our comrades?"
Kagami sneered at the word.
"'Comrades'? Come now, First Hokage, the times have changed. Those 'comrades' you speak of didn't consider the Uchiha their allies."
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Hashirama winced. He already knew the answer.
"Was it because of something Tobirama did?"
"Don't bother explaining or apologizing for him," Kagami replied coldly. "I don't believe he was wrong, but neither do I forgive him."
His tone softened, just slightly.
"That's why I rebuilt Konoha—to give it a new beginning before it could decay entirely. If that's the question you wanted answered, then consider it answered. Goodbye."
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"Wait!"
Hashirama raised a hand, blocking Kagami's path. His sincere gaze bore into the younger Uchiha.
"Tell me, Kagami—what is the right thing to do? Did I… Did I make a mistake back then?"
He hesitated, searching for words.
"What… what will it take to truly end all these wars?"
Hashirama had walked the streets of Kagami's newly rebuilt Konoha and had spoken at length with Minato. He understood now—his dream of ending the warring clans had only postponed the bloodshed.
The Five Great Nations had caused wars that were even more devastating than the clan conflicts.
And now, in this fragile peace, only Kagami's overwhelming power kept the other nations in check.
But Hashirama couldn't ignore the question that haunted him: what would happen to the world after Kagami's death? Would the cycle of destruction only grow worse?
---
Kagami was silent for a moment before speaking softly.
"To my knowledge, war can never truly end."
Hashirama flinched.
"True peace—where everyone understands one another—is an illusion. As long as people have different beliefs and values, conflict is inevitable."
Kagami's voice grew colder.
"The only way to stop war is through absolute control. That's why Madara's 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' plan was the only real solution he could come up with. It would kill individuality, yes—but it would also kill conflict."
For a moment, Hashirama thought he saw a flicker of admiration in Kagami's eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
"Madara wasn't blind, Hashirama. He saw the truth of human nature too clearly. That's why he sought to create an illusory peace, even if it meant erasing the real world. A dream for eternity—one final act of forced kindness."
Kagami's gaze turned distant.
"But I don't care about lasting peace. That's someone else's dream, not mine."
---
Hashirama sagged slightly, the weight of Kagami's words pressing down on him.
"Then… I was wrong. My dream was wrong…"
"Don't overthink it." Kagami's tone carried an almost mocking edge.
"Do your best. Don't worry about the outcome."
He smirked faintly.
"You and Madara—both of you were idiots who thought too far ahead and made things more complicated than they needed to be. You wanted too much, and you couldn't let go of your pride."
Hashirama didn't respond. The words cut too close to the truth.
---
After a moment, Hashirama spoke again, his voice unsteady.
"Madara… Orochimaru told me he's still alive. Did you know that?"
"Yes," Kagami replied without hesitation.
Hashirama followed him as he walked away.
"You must have some connection to him—he was your clan's leader, wasn't he? Hasn't he tried to contact you?"
"Madara's dead. He's been dead for over a year now," Kagami said flatly.
Hashirama stopped in his tracks, a shadow of despair crossing his face.
"I… I wanted to apologize to him. To speak to him one last time…"
A moment of silence passed before Kagami added with a smirk:
"Give it a few years. Madara will come back for you."
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Hashirama's expression darkened further.
"Kagami… I saw your clan's Stone Tablet. And you—you're using it as a weapon! Do you have any idea how much that tablet meant to Madara?"
Kagami's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"It's my clan, and I'm the leader now. What Madara thought doesn't matter anymore. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
Hashirama hesitated, then sighed deeply.
"I believe you. I believe Madara will come back. He wouldn't let himself disappear so easily. But Kagami…"
His voice grew solemn.
"If he does come back, we'll have to stop him."
End of Chapter
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