Multiversal Wanderer: Starting in Naruto-Chapter 59: The Uchiha Clan’s Underground Stone Tablet

Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama sat side by side, quietly finishing their bowls of noodles. Once done, they placed their chopsticks down with a soft clink.

"Madara... do you think we can ever go back to how things were?" Hashirama asked suddenly, unable to hide the longing in his voice.

In his heart, Madara was still that boy who once skipped stones with him by the lake, sharing dreams of peace and unity. But time had passed, and things had changed.

Hashirama was now the Hokage—the leader of Konoha. Madara, on the other hand, had long since let go of any attachments to the village or the Five Great Nations. His ambitions stretched far beyond such borders.

Even though he hadn't fought Su Xiuyu lately, Madara was certain Xiuyu had far surpassed him. He refused to slow his younger brother down, let alone rely on his help—whether that be with training or access to the Chakra Fruit.

He was the elder brother, damn it. He wasn't about to ride Xiuyu's coattails.

"There's no going back, Hashirama," Madara said, his tone steady. "You're the Hokage now. I have responsibilities too—to both the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans. We've grown up. We're not kids anymore."

Hashirama's shoulders slumped. It stung to hear that. They used to be best friends. But since founding Konoha, that closeness had faded into something... distant. And now, Su Xiuyu stood where he used to.

In his mind, Hashirama still couldn't accept that someone else had taken his place—not just as Madara's confidant, but even in Mito's heart.

"How's Xiuyu doing?" he asked, voice quieter now.

Madara replied calmly, "He and Mito went off to train. Where exactly, I don't know—the ninja world's huge. But you know how strong he is. There's no need to worry."

Hashirama fell silent again.

So this was the cost of becoming Hokage? To gain the title, only to lose the people who mattered?

He thought the title had pushed them apart. He didn't know that both Su Xiuyu and Madara never cared about being Hokage in the first place. What really came between them... was something else entirely. But in Hashirama's mind, it was Tobirama's harsh treatment of his friends that caused the rift.

They sat together for a while longer until a new wave of customers came in. The old man at the stand began preparing fresh noodles.

"Goodbye," Hashirama said.

"Yeah," Madara replied without looking back.

He walked off, leaving Hashirama standing there, feeling oddly hollow.

Konoha's streets bustled with life, yet Hashirama had never felt so alone.

---

Meanwhile, underground—beneath the village—a shadowy figure crept through the earth.

"Damn it!" Black Zetsu snarled. "Why are there so many damn restrictions?!"

Ever since the Uzumaki clan joined Konoha, the village's barrier system had become ridiculously complex. Traps, alarms, layers of seals—there were so many that even Black Zetsu struggled to move without tripping something.

He was here for one reason: to tamper with the Uchiha clan's Six Paths Stone Tablet. But the damn security was driving him mad.

"Fucking Uzumaki... I swear, one day I'll wipe your whole clan off the map!"

Still, he didn't give up. He searched relentlessly for a weak spot, and after nearly an entire night of probing and weaving through the underground maze, he finally found one.

Slipping past the seals, he entered the Uchiha compound.

But before he could even begin his plan, a sharp voice rang out—

"Who's there?"

Madara had sensed the intrusion instantly. He narrowed his eyes at the shadowy figure—completely black from head to toe, clearly not human.

Madara didn't rush to attack. He didn't feel threatened. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't strong enough to hurt him.

Black Zetsu hadn't expected to run into him of all people.

But rather than panic, Zetsu leaned into it.

"Uchiha Madara," he said smoothly, "I am your will... the shadow of your darkness. We'll meet again."

Before Madara could respond, Zetsu vanished, sinking back into the earth using the Mayfly Technique.

He hadn't managed to alter the stone tablet, but at least he'd made contact. Indra's reincarnation was emotional and easy to manipulate. It was still early—the long game was what mattered.

Madara narrowed his eyes. That strange, inky-black man... he matched someone Su Xiuyu had warned him about long ago.

He had considered capturing him, but the guy's technique was unique. He merged with the ground itself, slipping through even the Uzumaki seals.

It was clear now—Konoha's current seal system couldn't handle threats like this. They'd need even more advanced sealing arts to deal with him.

"Hmph... things are finally getting interesting," Madara muttered to himself, his blood stirring for the first time in a while.

---

The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes pulsed, reacting faintly to the presence of the stone tablet nearby. Patterns flickered across its surface—words like tailed beast, seal, moon.

But it was fragmented. Garbled. Madara couldn't make full sense of it.

Still... the secrets etched into this stone, passed down through generations of Uchiha, piqued his interest. Su Xiuyu likely knew more than he let on. Madara's curiosity was fully ignited now.

---

Black Zetsu, having barely escaped, hissed under his breath.

"Shit... what a day. First time sneaking into Konoha and I run into Indra himself."

But then he smirked.

"No matter. He's emotional. Easy to provoke. If I play this right, the whole plan starts with him..."

He looked up at the moonlit sky through a crack in the earth.

"Mother... just wait a little longer. I will bring you back."

---

Later that night, Madara quietly slipped away from the clan grounds and made his way to the Valley of the End.

Three statues stood tall there—himself, Senju Hashirama, and Su Xiuyu.

Originally, these statues were built to commemorate the legendary battle between the Senju and Uchiha clans. But in truth, it was Su Xiuyu who had created them using earth manipulation, saving the newly-founded Konoha a lot of money in the process.

Now, standing atop his own likeness, Madara looked out across the valley. The wind blew gently against his armor, and for the first time in a while, a strange nostalgia crept in.

He remembered those fierce battles... the fiery clashes... the friendship that once was.

The fire in his spirit hadn't gone out after all.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

"Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction!"

"Fire Style: Dust Concealment Technique!"

"Susanoo!"

He went through the motions—unleashing bursts of power, one after another—but held back. If he truly went all out, the landscape of the Valley of the End would be altered once more.

-------------

"Master, is it really a good idea for us to secretly seek an alliance with Konoha?"

Onoki's voice was calm but laced with hesitation.

Mu, ever the composed teacher, turned his head slightly and said, "Onoki, you're my disciple. You should already understand—there are no eternal friends in the ninja world, only eternal interests. Right now, Konoha is the strongest among all the villages, especially with Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha still around. If we manage to form an alliance with them, it would be extremely beneficial for Iwagakure."

He paused before adding, "Besides, our relationship with the Hidden Cloud Village isn't exactly friendly. Gaining a strong ally like Konoha could help balance the scales."

Mu was careful in guiding Onoki, who was being groomed as the future Tsuchikage. He took the responsibility seriously—nurturing not only Onoki's combat ability but also his political sense.

"Then what about Uchiha Xiuyu?" Onoki asked, brows furrowed in curiosity.

He'd heard the legends—the Three Ninja Gods of the current era. While Hashirama and Madara were household names, the third, Uchiha Xiuyu, was far more mysterious. Whispers said he was just as powerful—maybe even more so—but rarely showed himself.

Mu exhaled deeply. "That's exactly why I'm bringing you to Konoha. Rumor has it that Uchiha Xiuyu surpasses both Hashirama and Madara—and he's even younger. If he fulfills his potential, he could easily dominate his generation."

He looked directly at Onoki. "If even one of those three decides to make a move, no other village would dare act recklessly."

"But... are they really as strong as everyone says?" Onoki muttered. He wasn't convinced. After all, strength was relative—until you saw it with your own eyes, it was just talk. "Stronger than Tsuchikage-sama?"

Mu smiled faintly. "It's not just about strength. While I haven't witnessed it firsthand, everyone who has says they're no longer just ninjas—they've stepped into the realm of gods."

He suddenly brightened. "Let's take a detour through the Valley of the End. That's where the three of them fought. Word is the landscape was permanently altered. We're headed in that direction anyway—might as well take a look."

Onoki's eyes lit up. He was young and hot-blooded, and the thought of seeing such a legendary battleground had him excited.

Unfortunately, the moment the unlucky pair—Mu and Onoki—neared the Valley of the End, they felt it. Raging flames. Towering chakra giants. The remnants of a fight that was still very much in progress.

"Oh? Where did these little mice crawl out from?"

A voice, like thunder cloaked in arrogance, echoed across the valley.

Before Mu or Onoki could even react, Madara Uchiha had appeared before them in a flicker of movement—his body-flash technique flawless and terrifyingly fast.

Onoki froze. The man standing before them wore red armor from the Warring States era, a massive fan strapped to his back, and long, wild black hair that ran to his waist. His eyes... sharp, full of disdain, radiated dominance.

"This is Konoha territory. State your names."

Mu instantly recognized him—this was Madara Uchiha. That face, that armor... there was no mistaking him. Nobody would dare impersonate that man.

"You must be Lord Madara. I am Mu, a representative of the Hidden Stone Village. This is my disciple, Ohnoki. We've come to Konoha seeking an alliance."

Madara raised an eyebrow—and simply shook his head.

"I don't think that's necessary. Go home."

The blunt dismissal caught Mu off guard. Most shinobi leaders welcomed allies, or at least played the political game. But this man—he didn't even bother with diplomacy.

"I insist on going to Konoha to discuss the matter," Mu pressed firmly. "Please, Lord Madara, allow us passage."

Madara's lips curled into a smirk. "Kid, it's been a long time since someone talked back to me like that. Do you even know who you're speaking to?"

In truth, Madara didn't think Tobirama would approve an alliance with Iwagakure. From his perspective, their trip was pointless. He tried to send them back because it was a waste of time—not because he was being malicious.

But the pair clearly misunderstood—and kept pushing.

He cracked his knuckles. It had been a while since he moved around anyway.

"You should've just turned back," Madara muttered. "Now I'll teach you what it means to listen."

He inhaled.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A massive wave of flames erupted from Madara's mouth, sweeping across the valley like a tidal wave of heat. The surface of the lake boiled under the pressure, steam hissing into the air.

Onoki stood there in shock. He'd used Fire Style techniques before—but this? This was on another level entirely. Panic crept up his spine.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Mu rapidly formed hand signs, throwing up six stone walls in quick succession. Only then did the inferno finally stop. And this... this was just a casual move from Madara.

Madara chuckled.

"Not bad. You actually blocked one of my weaker attacks. Who are you to the Tsuchikage?" He eyed Mu. "Your Earth Style is impressive... but compared to Xiuyu Earth Control, it's like a firefly before the moon."

He let the insult hang.

"If you were from Konoha, maybe I'd introduce you to him."

Mu kept his composure, though Onoki was visibly shaken.

"Lord Madara, you're too kind. I'm well aware of the gap between my Earth Style and that of Lord Xiuyu Honestly, among all the shinobi in the world, only his technique could truly be called 'Earth Control.'"

He hesitated before asking, "I've heard he doesn't even need hand signs anymore—that he can manipulate the earth with just a thought. Is... is that true?"

Part of Mu was fishing for information. The other part genuinely feared that if he didn't show deference, Madara might end both him and Onoki right here.

Madara raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad, you've done your homework. And yeah... it's true. What the world calls Earth Style, he's evolved into something else. Earth Control is its own school now—his school."

He waved a hand dismissively.

"Everyone knew Hashirama could change the battlefield with a single Wood Release technique, but knowing that and stopping it? Two very different things. Same goes for Xiuyu."

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