Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 448: Kawakaze vs. Madara (Part 1)

The damp air filled every corner of the cave, its darkness momentarily dispelled by flashes of light.

Droplets of water dripped from the cave walls, echoing softly through the space.

"Lord Madara!"

In the eerie stillness, Zetsu suddenly let out a cry of alarm, his voice laced with fear and despair.

At this critical moment, he could do nothing but wait helplessly for fate's judgment, as if everything had already reached a dead end.

"Hmph, don't count on him."

Kawakaze's expression was as cold as ice, his eyes devoid of emotion.

His tall figure stood out sharply in the dimly lit cave, and in an instant, his sword sliced across Zetsu's throat like a bolt of lightning.

The blade, wrapped in crackling electricity, gleamed ominously.

A severed white head spun through the air, tracing an arc before it hit the ground.

"Ahhh—!"

Before White Zetsu's mouth could even close, his agonized scream echoed through the cave.

Kawakaze withdrew his sword, his brows furrowing slightly in disappointment.

As the blade's glow faded, its dull edge seemed to mirror his regret—he hadn't managed to completely eliminate the threat.

Ideals were beautiful, but reality was cruel.

Black Zetsu, without a true physical form, was as slippery as an eel.

Abandoning a host body meant little to him—discarding White Zetsu was hardly a sacrifice.

Having let him escape today, who knew when the chance to deal with him would come again?

The cave grew increasingly heavy with tension.

"Lord Kawakaze."

Obito's voice broke the silence.

It had taken him a moment to realize that a battle was inevitable.

Struggling to his feet, he staggered toward Kawakaze.

Madara watched but made no move to stop him.

He knew it would be futile—resistance would change nothing.

"Don't ask questions. I'll get you out of here first."

Kawakaze could see the confusion in Obito's eyes, but the situation ahead was no longer one he could be part of.

Before his words had even fully left his mouth, Kawakaze disappeared with Obito.

A second later, he reappeared alone in the same spot.

To Madara, it seemed as if Kawakaze's figure had simply flickered.

"So, this is the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?"

"The true form of the Ten-Tails—summonable only with the Rinnegan."

Kawakaze studied the massive figure looming in the darkness, his interest unmistakable.

"You know quite a lot."

Madara wasn't sure how Kawakaze had come by so much information, but at this point, the answer didn't matter.

"I also know you gave Nagato the Rinnegan," Kawakaze continued.

"You intend for him to resurrect you after your death using it."

"Am I wrong?"

Kawakaze looked at Madara but deliberately avoided direct eye contact.

Even with just a three-tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't guarantee he'd come out unscathed.

After all, this was Madara Uchiha—the man who could wreak havoc even without his eyes.

Who knew what kind of Genjutsu he could pull off?

"That's right."

"Once I am revived and reclaim the Rinnegan, no one will be able to stop me."

"Not even you."

"By then, the Eye of the Moon Plan will be unstoppable."

Madara was forthright—at this stage, there was no point in hiding anything.

"Too bad that future will never come to pass."

Kawakaze chuckled softly.

Rinnegan Madara truly would have been nearly invincible.

If not for Black Zetsu's betrayal, the outcome of his fight against Naruto and Sasuke might have been very different.

"You've ruined my carefully laid plans time and time again."

"Sometimes, I wish I could march into Konoha and kill you myself."

Madara shook his head helplessly.

If that were possible, he would have done it long ago.

"Well, what can I say? Holding my wife in my arms feels a lot better."

"Illusions aren't real—I don't care for them."

"I don't know how much of your strength remains,"

"But I doubt this fight will be as satisfying as it should be."

Kawakaze sighed and shrugged before slowly stepping toward Madara.

The pressure of his presence was suffocating.

His killing intent was laid bare.

"You're different from him."

Madara watched Kawakaze come to a halt a few meters away and suddenly let out a laugh.

Decades of planning might come to an end today.

But oddly enough, he didn't feel as regretful as he had imagined.

Perhaps this junior could realize the dream he and Hashirama once shared.

Hashirama had been too kind, too idealistic.

He, on the other hand, had been too ruthless, too extreme.

But this boy...

It was as if he embodied a balance between the two.

Even so, if given the chance to start over, Madara knew he would still choose the same path.

Because he was Madara Uchiha.

"I am only myself."

Kawakaze understood exactly who Madara was referring to.

Only Hashirama Senju had left such a mark on his heart.

"What is your goal?"

Madara pushed aside his drifting thoughts and met Kawakaze's gaze, his tone calm.

"To unify the ninja world."

Kawakaze didn't hesitate—there was nothing to hide.

"And do you really think unification will bring peace?"

"Maybe you can hold it together while you're alive, but one day, you'll be gone."

"Humans are inherently greedy."

Madara had no doubts about Konoha's ability to unify the world.

But unification alone wouldn't guarantee lasting peace.

"You're not wrong," he admitted.

"That's why I have a plan that goes beyond simple unification."

"It may not be perfect, but it's certainly better than your Eye of the Moon Plan."

Kawakaze understood the unpredictability of human nature.

But once he was gone, what happened afterward didn't concern him.

If the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeded, everyone would eventually become White Zetsu.

What kind of peace was that?

"In every victory, there are those who lose."

"To them, your version of peace will never be true peace."

"When hatred and resentment fester long enough, war will break out again."

"Your vision is too idealistic."

Madara wasn't trying to convince Kawakaze—he was simply stating what he believed.

"I won't deny that your argument has merit."

"But no one can shake my conviction."

Kawakaze wasn't angered.

He acknowledged the possibility of conflict in the future.

But so what?

As long as a unified ninja world remained largely stable, occasional rebellions wouldn't amount to war.

If people could live in peace and prosperity, even rebellion would become unnecessary.

Madara would never understand that true peace couldn't be maintained through sheer power alone.

Perhaps, in the distant future, the era of shinobi would be erased by the march of history.

"You have your beliefs, and I have mine."

"Let's see if the so-called new God of Shinobi lives up to the title."

Madara performed a Body Flicker, appearing by a stone bench where he picked up his massive scythe.

Then, from behind the bench, he retrieved his famed gunbai.

"It's been a while since I used this."

As he spoke, he linked the scythe's chain to the gunbai.

Click—

With a sharp sound, the two weapons combined into one.

"A fine weapon."

Kawakaze had only ever seen this in the anime.

Aside from knowing that the gunbai could reflect ninjutsu, he wasn't too familiar with its full capabilities.

"In the end, it's just a tool."

Madara gripped his scythe in one hand and his gunbai in the other.

His back straightened, and an overwhelming aura surged forth.

Even in his aged state, he was not a man to be taken lightly.

And in his eyes, Kawakaze Hatake was one of the few worthy of his attention.