The fourth Ninja war had come to an end and Kaguya had been sealed away. The war he started to bring this accursed world to a peaceful conclusion.
But it seems fate was not on his side. The ninja world produced opposing force to counter him and here was, defeated once again.
His body was unable to move anymore and he was beyond saving as no bijuu vessel can survive after having the bijuu ripped out of them.
It messes up the chakra system and soul.
Staring at the dark sky, Madara heard Hashirama walk towards him.
Hashirama Senju, the man he called brother, best friend and rival. He was the one person that stopped his ambitions and tried to show him the way, even putting his life on the line during battle to convey his point.
"Hashirama"
"Mm" Hashi sat down beside him
"You and I…Despite always dreaming and reaching for the stars...We could never touch them."
"Our kinds of dreams are never easy! Thing is…We can only do so much while we live…And that's why it's imperative we entrust the rest to…All those who come after us."
"As soft as ever…Fufu...You've always…been...That glass half full idiot. But…Just maybe…That was the…right way to do things…My dream is…No more. But your dream…It lives on."
"Always rushing things…You should have come to terms with the fact that there are things you couldn't achieve. You forgot to properly raise the ones who followed behind you…The ones unto whom you could entrust things."
"That…Would have been beyond my capabilities…I always hated…having people follow…behind me..."
Hashirama smiled at those words making him feel at ease like old times.
"When we were kids…You said that as ninjas, there's no telling when we'll die…And if we ever found a way to stay that inevitability, we'd share it even if we remained enemies…We'd drink together over it, as brothers. But we're dying now. So…All we can do is share a drink as comrades."
"As comrades, huh…Well…If that's…Who…We…Will." Madara couldn't even finish his sentence anymore as life slipped away and he embraced the darkness.
He had done many wrong acts and was responsible for many atrocities. Even just now, millions had died because of him.
It was not what he wanted but it was the consequence of his action.
He deserved punishment. He knew he wasn't going to meet his family, his brother.
But none of that came and he opened his eyes to a blue sky, not a world of pain and torture.
It was confusing and he couldn't fathom what was happening and why.
His body was in tip top shape and he could move without any problem. Without hesitation he stood up and checked his condition properly.
In front of him a strange world extended, he was standing on land but he could see that it was above clouds.
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He could see a giant tree going even higher and different patches of land scattered around the place.
He knew this was his real body and not some spirit since he had experience dying once.
'Why am I alive? Where is this place? Why is she here?' Madara wondered as he looked at the woman near him.
Konan had also appeared just like him and he could see that she was waking up.
This was a strange experience and felt like someone was responsible for it since this couldn't be called natural in any way.
'It is unnatural child.'
'Sage, I see you are responsible for this. But…why?'
'This is my way of making up for my mistakes. I wish to give you a second chance as I believe you have learnt your lesson. You can help this world and maybe come to the assistance of your previous world when needed.'
'What about Hashirama? He deserves it more than me.'
'I sent him to another world as well, so you can work hard and see him in the future.'
'Well, I won't deny this second chance so thank you. What about the girl?'
'Nagato wished to give her a chance to live a good life and you would need someone to remind you of your world, and your mistakes. I do not have time for a longer conversation so take care and move forward. This world isn't weak and it has many powerful people that could trouble you.'
With those words, Madara felt the presence disappear from his mind and he saw Konan stare at him with clear cut hostility.
He couldn't blame the kid since he was partly responsible for their tragedy.
He could take this as his first task and show that he is willing to walk a new path.
"I apologize for what has happened because of me and I wish to help you in this world as your companion has entrusted you with me." Madara looked at her and spoke in a calm manner.
Right now he was wearing his black shinobi clothes and red armor over it like in the war so he took off the armor and stored it inside the storage seal on his shoulder.
Konan had heard from the sage about what happened and understood what he meant but she was not happy.
She had become tired of life and death had been a release from this torment.
Now she was alive once again stuck to the man who ruined their lives.
"Do you think I can believe you?"
Konan's cold tone didn't affect him as he was aware of his faults and acknowledged them. He was a monster that had almost put the world to sleep. He was the monster that was responsible for millions of deaths.
After the defeat in the war and the talk with Hashirama, he was clear about his mistakes. He understood that his path had been fundamentally flawed from the start.
If he had been less prideful and war like, he could have worked with Hashirama to bring peace to the world but he listened the dark whispers and destroyed everything.
His reaction led the world to becoming even worse than before when he could have led it to a golden era, if he had just accepted Hashirama.
He was not a psychopath or sociopath so he had human emotions. He never guilty for the lives lost because they were just sacrifices for his goal.
He was the type that believed in the philosophy of the end justifies the mean. No matter how unholy his method became, it could all be justified with his goal.
But all that came crashing down once he realized that the goal had become ever further because of his methods.
He was putting them in a dream. There was no peace in this method. There was no life in this method. He was being delusional.
What did he plan to do after putting them in a dream? Enter the dream world and forget about the real world until some tragedy struck the planet.
It was just running away from the core problems. He had never even tried to solve the problems. He had never tried to listen to others. He had never tried to make followers, never understanding that this path required followers. This path was never meant for loners.
His approach was flawed from that step but his pride had blinded him. Now he could see those problems and he wanted to see if he fixed them, what would happen.
The sage gave him a chance and of course he wasn't going to just live like a simple person. And the part about his world needing assistance seemed like a warning.
"I know you can't believe me, so I will let you decide what you want to do? You can follow me and keep me in check or go free in this unknown world and enjoy." Madara kept it clean and honest, no condescending or teasing involved this time.
Hearing his words she glared at him and sighed, "I will follow you to keep you in check. I don't want you repeating your sins in this world."
"Good, let's work together form now Konan. You can call me Madara." Madara said with a small smile as he extended his hand and she shook begrudgingly.
'This is off to a good start.'
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A.n Hope you enjoyed and comment