This time, I'll reach the other side for sure.
Just aim it a little higher than you'd expect.
That's the trick.
I don't need you to tell me that.
It will reach the other side if I put my all into it!
Who the hell are you anyway?
Right now, I'm just your rival at stone skipping.
Though mine has already reached the other side.
That was the first time I encountered Madara Uchiha.
Hashirama and Madara
I asked you who you are!
It's Hashirama.
I can't tell you my last name due to reasons...
Hashirama, eh?
Well, just watch. I'm gonna make it this time.
The way he throws…
I'm sure… It's the shuriken jutsu!
Hey! You stood behind me on purpose to distract me!
I'm the type that can't even pee when someone's standing behind me!
S-Sorry!
Hey… Don't take it so seriously…
Sorry, I was just making excuses…
I…I didn't know…
That you had such an obnoxious self-diagnosed neurosis...
I can't tell if you're a nice guy or a nasty guy!
One thing for sure! I'm better than you at stone skipping!
Want me to skip you instead?
S-Sorry… I didn't mean to upset you.
To make amends, I'll let you throw me into the river.
Go ahead, throw me.
Do you even notice your own obnoxious neurosis?
I just...hope I reach the opposite shore...
You're a real eyesore! Get lost!
Well then...
Wait a second!
Which is it? Why don't you be more clear?
Th-That's…
That's…!
Are you…a shinobi?
This location will become a battlefield soon. Go home.
This is a Hagoromo Clan crest…
Sorry, but I've got to go…
So long…
Uh…
It's Madara.
Madara…
Not proffering one's family name to a stranger...
is shinobi law.
I knew it…
You're a shinobi too.
Our personalities differed,
and yet I sensed a mysterious kinship with him.
I felt I knew why he'd come down to the river too.
Kawarama...
Shinobi do not cry!
Shinobi are born into this world to fight and die in battle.
Be grateful that we have even a piece of his corpse!
For our enemy this time includes
the Uchiha Clan in addition to the Hagoromo Clan!
They are particularly merciless!
Kawarama was just seven years old!
How long…will this kind of fighting continue?!
Until the very last foe has been vanquished.
The path to a battle-free world is not easily made!
And children must be sacrificed?
I will not allow Kawarama to be disrespected!
He fought and died as a full-fledged shinobi!
He was not a child!
Older brother Hashirama, are you okay?
You know what happens when we defy Father.
I…don't want…
either of you, Itama or Tobirama…
to die in vain!
The Senju, the clan of love? As if!
A full-fledged shinobi, my butt!
All of this is just grown-ups driving kids to their deaths!
We're doing exactly the same thing as the Uchiha!
That's how we honor our opponents.
Even an infant wielding a weapon is deemed an enemy.
And to raise one's child to become full-fledged is a parent's love!
So in order to become full-fledged, you have to die?!
We kill and are killed so much,
you can't even keep track of all the grudges!
And it's too risky to even divulge our family names!
There's something totally wrong about a ninja world like this!
Children like you are called brats!
Father…
Older Brother's feeling depressed today…
So please forgive him.
Hashirama, go and cool your head.
Grown-ups are stupid.
If they want to stop the fighting, they should make a pact…
But…what about avenging our parents and brothers…
and all our friends who were killed?
Keeping saying stuff like that and you'll end up dead too.
You and the adults are both hotheaded.
Sorry…
Forthcoming shinobi must suppress their emotions,
create suitable rules that they then follow
and avoid extraneous conflict.
Can't a true pact...
an alliance be achieved?
What's a true pact?
During the Era of Warring States,
the average life expectance of both shinobi and citizens
was around 30 years old.
And the reason the average was so low was...
Itama!
The deaths of many young children.
Itama!
Hey, long time no see!
Umm…
It's Hashirama.
So, Hashirama… You seem awfully down.
What happened?
What's with you!
I'm fine!
Liar… You can talk to me, you know.
It's nothing…
Come on, tell me.
I said it's nothing.
Hey, stop dragging this out! I promise I'll listen!
It's really nothing…
Nothing at all.
Out with it!
What's the matter?
My little brother…died.
I come to the river
because I feel like all the haziness in my heart
gets washed away as I stare at the water.
So that's what happened...
Your name's Madara, right…?
I wonder if you're like me…
Do you have siblings?
I'm one of five.
Well, there used to be five of us.
Used to?
We're shinobi.
We never know when we're going to die.
If there were a way where neither side had to die...
It would be where both sides revealed their insides,
and hid nothing from each other...
And poured each other drinks and drank together like brothers.
But that's impossible...
Because one can't look deep into another's insides down to their guts.
In reality, they could be as mad as hell.
Isn't it possible…
to really show how you feel without showing your guts?
I don't know…
But every time I come here,
I pray for some way to make it happen.
I finally got it to go in the right direction.
You're not the only one…
Me too…
It reached.
In all honesty, I was shocked…
That one person understood how I felt
despite all the people that didn't.
So there was another foolish kid, who thought as I did,
to try to change this war-torn era.
Maybe shocked isn't the right word…
To me, Madara was a gift from the divine.
In your case…I can tell without looking into your insides that...
What?
That your hairdo and outfit are totally lame!
Not that we thought alike in every respect...
After that, we started meeting up every now and then,
still without knowing each other's family names...
We'd spar and compare our shinobi moves
or talk about the future…
Taijutsu and kumite.
Nice job pulling a draw against me!
It's not a draw...
I'm still standing.
Huh?
Ouch!
What were you saying? How's this not a draw?
When did you…?
I threw it the instant you blew me away.
I'm not gonna be beaten that easily.
But the question is,
how do we change things concretely?
We've got to have a vision for the future.
The first steps are for us to not give up on our ideals
and to get a lot stronger.
Weak pups barking won't change a thing.
Right. If we master all sorts of jutsu and get stronger,
the adults won't be able to ignore our words anymore.
We gotta master many jutsu and cover any weaknesses.
Well… I am stronger than most adults around me already.
No kidding? I'm impressed.
You really can't, eh…?
Stop standing behind me!
I found your weakness…
I'm gonna throw you into the exact spot I pissed in!
Take this! It's my Water Style!
Disgusting! Don't whip it around!
Each time we met, we became closer friends.
Madara…
I came up with an amazing jutsu!
Let's master it together!
Really? Show me.
A Secret Taijutsu Technique,
a Super Fire Style Genjutsu Slice Giant Shuriken Two-Step Drop Jutsu!
Nope… I can't visualize it at all.
I mean, which is it? Taijutsu or genjutsu?
In the first place, the name is too long!
Who can remember such a long name?
Well, let me explain it...
Never mind!
Today, I'm challenging you to cliff climbing!
Quit getting depressed all the time!
That's your weakness.
And your weakness is to judge too quickly…
I'm just psyching you out… before cliff climbing!
Huh? Hey you!
See you later!
You were just pretending, huh?!
I win…
That's to be expected… You started before me!
What a sweeping view of the forest!
Yeah, you can see really far!
I know my eyesight's just as good as yours.
Want to challenge me?
What makes you say that all of a sudden?
You sound really proud of your eyes.
Well sure! I have Sha…
What's the matter?
No…never mind. I guess it's not all that.
What is it? You're being awful candid for once.
If I were better, my siblings wouldn't be dead.
I couldn't even protect them.
So I shouldn't...shouldn't...
Madara…
Sorry…
I brought back some memories for you too, huh.
So…you don't have any more siblings?
No… I have one younger brother left.
And I'll protect him, no matter what!
What about you?
I have one brother left too.
And I intend to protect him too, no matter what.
I've decided! Let's build our settlement here!
Huh?
And make it so kids won't have to kill each other!
We'll create a school where kids can train and grow up stronger!
Assign missions that fit
an individual's abilities and strengths!
Have superiors who can properly assign ranks to commissions!
It will be a place where kids
don't have to be sent into harsh battlefronts.
You're pretty much the only one spouting nonsense.
Well then, what about you?
It doesn't sound bad at all.
Then it's decided!
Yeah… If that settlement gets built here,
then I could watch over my little brother,
and protect him in this place where you can see to no end!
That was where the Leaf Village would eventually stand.
I made a resolution that day.
To endure for the sake of my vision.
We both made it.
That stone… is perfect for rock skipping.
Hang on to it until we meet next time!
What is it, Tobirama?
Older Brother… Come with me.
Hashirama, this boy you've been meeting up with...
How did you…?
Father ordered me to tail you…
You?
I have better sensory skills than you.
You've been going out quite often lately,
so I knew something was up.
I checked up on that boy.
He belongs to the Uchiha Clan.
He has killed adults from our clan.
It seems he was born with inherent shinobi talent.
So I was right…
Given your lack of surprise...
Don't tell me the two of you already
knew each other's clan names.
No… I didn't know.
He probably doesn't know mine either.
Hashirama.
Do you know what this means?
The Senju and Uchiha Clans are bitter enemies.
I haven't told anyone in our clan yet…
If we're not careful, you could be branded a traitor.
If you don't want to be accused of being an enemy spy…
after you see that boy next time, follow him.
And bring back intel about the Uchiha Clan.
This is a mission.
If he should notice you...
kill him!
Maybe it just isn't possible for us to reach that pipe dream of ours.
Madara...you...
It may have been brief, but it was fun.
Our next meeting will likely be on the battlefield.
Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "The Era of Warring States"
I truly wish it wasn't so...
THE ERA OF WARRING STATES
Tune in again!