Ghost of the Uchiha

"Madara is more than a man. He is an ideal. Even if the man behind the mask is nothing but a lie, the world will fear the idea of Madara."

Chapter 0 - Prelude

In the dying embers of his life, Madara rested on the cold hard ground, surrounded by the beasts he had previously used for his gain.

Next to him stood the first Hokage, gripping his fists tightly.

"Hashirama...?"

"Yeah..."

Although his eyes were deprived of the light they once had, Madara could still recognize his rival through presence alone.

"..."

Remaining silent, Madara gazed at the sky he could not see. Even as a blind person, he still decided to take a hard look at himself and his mistakes, unable to find solace.

Hashirama's expression portrayed a mixture of anguish and regret, facing what had become of his best friend.

Shifting his gaze towards the man who stood in his way all of those years, Madara's hoarse voice resonated around the area.

"We both had things we wanted so badly... But never seemed to get them."

Hearing Madara's words, Hashirama got frustrated and raised his voice.

"No one said it was easy! There's a limit to how much we can do in our lifetimes… That's why we must pave the way for the next generation, who'll achieve our dreams for us!"

"You're still so naïve… Well, you were always the optimistic one, heh. Maybe… Just maybe… I should've gone that way too."

Retrieving his gaze, Madara once again stared at the empty sky, his expression remorseful.

"My dream is coming to an end… But your's hasn't yet."

"You were in such a rush… It would've been fine, even if our dreams didn't come true. The most important thing was to make sure we brought up a generation that would help us fulfill them."

"Then… It might have been impossible for me from the very start… I hated having someone following my back, after all…"

Smiling, Hashirama's eyes were now filled with warmth, hearing his friend's words.

"Remember, back when we were children…? You once said, 'Ninja never know when they die.'... And that if there ever was a way to immortality, we'd share it no matter what… To exchange cups and become brothers for life."

Sighing, Hashirama looked down as he continued speaking.

"We're both dying now… Sadly, the only thing we can do is exchange our cups as comrades."

Hearing this, Madara slowly closed his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to flow out at any moment.

"Comrades, huh…? Well… If that's how it is… I won't…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Madara's light completely faded as he finally found solace in his comrade's warmth. Regretting all of his previous actions, he finally let go.