Sorry, it took so long to update this!

I have been very busy as of late with both school and work. I barely have time to write much, so now I'm trying to edit all of my stories' timelines I've created to shorten their chapter spans.

For this story, I will be cutting this timeline and ending it where it can be ended with fulfillment. However, I may continue this storyline by adding one-shots and other series stories to continue with what I originally had planned. Thus, now there will only be about 3-4 more chapters after this one. I hope you all will enjoy the rest of this story!

Now, here is the chapter! Please enjoy!~

The two boys' semblance of "peace" continues for another year.

That is until that fateful Summer.

The heat makes the air waver as the sun shoots rays of light onto the world. The cicadas chirp boisterously on the trees near the river. Clink! Clank! Clink! The sound of metal biting metal resounds over the water surface as two young boys meet each other at the center of the river. Dark eyes and crimson eyes glare sharply and coldly as the two boys slide off the impact and onto the river.

Behind each boy, their older brothers stand in shock and bewilderment alongside their disapproving fathers.

They had been caught—

Pivoting off their nondominant foot, both younger boys clash at the center of the river. Clink! Their katanas scratch against one another as both sides push for dominance.

—Hashirama and Madara, that is.

Both fathers move—each taking aim at the opposite's younger child. The two friends don't look away from another, communicating with their eyes silently in cover.

"We'll fake this fight and push it towards a retreat." Crimson eyes convey.

Obsidian eyes smirk back. "Roger."

The pair don't notice the weapons aimed at them—a katana at Izuna and a kunai at Tobirama. However, both deadly weapons don't meet their respective targets. Clang! Rocks, thrown by both boys' older brothers, deter the weapons aimed at their friend's little brother—protecting the younger boys from the hidden attack.

Both Tobirama and Izuna's eyes widen as they read the words on the rocks.

"Trap—Scram"

"Run"

Silently, both younger brothers fall back behind their older brothers who have moved to the river center. Each side glares at the other—Uchiha to Senju; Senju to Uchiha. Tension is thick in the air.

The first to break the silence is the Uchida side, when Tajima questions his son, "How is it, Madara?" The Uchiha head narrows his eyes in focus at the trio on the other side of the river. "Can we take them on?"

The three Senjus give off an intimidating air—well, mostly Butsuma and Tobirama were, though Hashirama exudes a rather intimidating aura with his stare and furrowed brow. Madara meets this stare straight on with his own piercing look. He didn't want to fight Hashirama—his first real friend to share his dream of peace. However, in front of his family, those he needs to protect—in front of Izuna, who deserves the world—he can't choose to follow such a selfish wish.

Izuna watches his older brother carefully before his eyes shift over to Tobirama, who is also cautiously watching Madara. Tobirama could tell under that impassive focused expression of Madara's, there was great conflict. He could understand when he put it into perspective. Having to choose between your family or your best friend and dreams was a harsh choice. Tobirama wishes to never have to choose between them.

In the end, Madara chose neither. "No…" The raven-haired boy exhales, "Hashirama is stronger than me. If we fight, we'll lose."

"There's a kid stronger than you, nii-san?" Izuna feigns surprise, his shoulders loosening as he gives his brother a wide-eyed look. He felt relieved that his older brother had managed to defer the situation, perhaps a bit too relieved. Tobirama gives him a sharp glare which causes Izuna to tense back up.

"I see," Tajima speaks, carefully as he sharply assesses the opposing Senjus. "Quite impressive…" He mutters before turning around, "Let's retreat!" Izuna follows his father, not without taking one last glance at his friend then at his friend's brother and then his own brother.

Compared to Izuna, Madara is a bit slower. Instead, he lingers for a bit before reluctantly twirling away from his friend. However, he doesn't move forward at first, rather he stands there for a long tense moment. Then, his lips part. "Hey, Hashirama…"

"What is it?" Hashirama asks in response. His chocolate eyes are stuck on his best friend, not moving a single bit from the boy even when Madara won't turn around to face him.

"Maybe it just isn't possible for us…" Hashirama's breath hitches in his throat as he hears the cold, pitiful words leave Madara's mouth. The dark-haired boy finally turns his head to look at the choppy-haired brunette, but unlike usual his dark eyes are distant and not filled with the warmth and camaraderie Hashirama had been accustomed to. "It may have been brief, but it was fun, Hashirama…" The two of them stay like that, staring at one another, for what feels like a long while, but can only be a couple of seconds at most. However, the delay is evident; it makes Izuna turn to glance at his brother in wonder and Tobirama to watch cautiously from Hashirama's side. Despite the audience, Madara's attention is only focused on his friend—old friend.

"So long." The words come out cold and detached, so much so that Hashirama flinches at the tone. Forcing himself to ignore the pain in his chest, Madara turns away from Hashirama.

There's no turning back now.

"Our next meeting will likely be at the battlefield." Madara states like a goodbye as he walks onward. Izuna gives one last glance, his obsidian eyes meeting with Tobirama's ruby ones before he too turns away—but with a different meaning from his older brother's. Regardless, with that, the Uchihas leave the riverside and the Senjus behind.

On the way back to the Senju compound, Hashirama holds a frustrated expression as he follows behind Butsuma. Meanwhile, Tobirama holds an impassive face; his usual cool stoic attitude ever-present. In the albino's head, however, he hears the cheeky voice of his friend—best friend.

"Let's meet after this affair has settled down."

Don't order me around.

It takes a long while before things have settled down. Both clans are on the edge still, fighting the other to the death. Within both clans, their respective clan heirs were faring worse. Hashirama continues to throw a rebellious tantrum fit. He refuses to fight on frontlines unless he is forcefully thrown out there. On the other hand, Madara had grown more silent and aloof. Though he still embarks on missions and frontline battles, the Uchida heir will mostly seclude himself away from everyone else, even Izuna isn't able to get him out of his shell for weeks. Like so, several months pass before Tobirama and Izuna are able to reunite by the river.

By the time of the two young boys' next meeting, the green leaves have long withered and fallen from their perches white snow pile around the surrounding area. The river is freezing cold, much too chilly to touch without freezing over.

As usual, the first to arrive is Tobirama. The albino sits on a large rock, his head tilted back as he gazes into the gray, cloudy sky. Izuna, who happens to head toward the river in order to escape the stifling air of the Uchiha compound, lights up when he spotted the familiar silver head. A genuine smile spreads across his face before he quickly jumps to Tobirama's side, sliding to sit beside him. "Yo." Flashing a grin, he cocks his head to look at Tobirama.

Tobirama glances at Izuna with his crimson eyes and lingers for a moment before tilting his head back down. A small smirk overtakes his face as a soft chuckle escapes him.

Though things have changed, not everything has. A pair of star-crossed friends were forced apart; their path walking alongside each other is seemingly shattered. Another pair of star-crossed friends still linger, their bond as strong as ever; they watch the other pair, picking up the broken pieces. They work together to fix it.

Repairing something can take a long time. It can take days, weeks, months—years.

In this case, years is the most accurate description.

A decade passes with a sense of regularity—the Senju and Uchiha are in constant war, being lead by their respective clan heads until their clan heirs take over along the years, fighting to rule the country.

The first to pass is Butsuma, due to a horrid combination of an injury and a long-term disease that has been hacking away at his life. The Senju clan hold an honorable funeral for the clan head and then Hashirama stepped up to lead the clan as the next head. Tobirama follows him, one step behind his older brother, acting as his advisor. The albino does so while sparing his younger brother from the responsibilities and pain of the war. During Butsuma's funeral, neither of the older brothers show much emotion. While Itama had wept silent tears, Hashirama kept a grim expression and Tobirama kept an impassive one.

With that same expression, Tobirama reports his father's death to Izuna, the day after at the river. "Butsuma is dead." He refers to his father by his name, rather than with an attached name such as "father" or "dad".

Izuna silently accepts the statement, staring at his friend. His lips part as if to start, only to close them. His obsidian eyes glaze over with a tinge of sadness and mostly sympathy as he reaches over to his friend. He pats Tobirama's shoulder with a small understanding smile and nod.

Tobirama doesn't brush aside his friend's sympathy, instead, he almost leans into it. His scarlet eyes fall to the floor, but they are dazed in thought rather than truly focusing on the ground below. His eyelids curtain over his eyes.

The two friends stand there in compassionate silence.

The next to fall is Tajima. During a certain fateful battle, Tajima had gained a fatal injury that pushed the old man toward his death. That day, after the Uchiha head had sustained his terrible wound, Madara had ordered a retreat, but they were unable to make it in time and Tajima had passed as soon as they had returned to their territory.

Madara takes up the position as clan head as soon as the news spreads across the clan and the funeral only concretes this. Izuna supports him as much as he can, but Madara tends to keep everything to himself, not sharing his responsibilities even with Izuna. The younger Uchiha can only watch sadly as his older brother works himself to the bone. No matter what he tries, his brother won't confide in him. Izuna worries over him. He can tell that the stress of leading the clan and the internal conflict of wanting to hold onto his childhood dreams is wearing Madara down.

"Say, Tobirama…" Izuna starts one windy day by the river. "How much longer do we have to wait?" The raven-haired boy clenches his fist as his brows furrow in frustration. "Isn't there some way we can achieve our dreams sooner?"

Tobirama turns to look at his friend with a brief look of surprise. It was only a flinch, something so quick and is swiftly washed away with a frown. "It's improbable." The albino answers, without hesitation.

At those words, Izuna's eyes grow wide and he feels a pang of pain in his chest. His clenched fist trembles with the frustrated fury he has been holding in this whole time. He almost wished to just surrender. Everything was so exhausting.

However, before Izuna could share this thought, Tobirama continues. "But—" He pauses for a moment, letting the word linger on his tongue. "—It isn't impossible."

A soft gasp escapes Izuna as he hastily turns to his friend. His body loosens with confusion and bewilderment at Tobirama's words. "Really?!" His excitement is evident with how quickly he jumps onto those words.

Tobirama nods, "We will need an opportunity," He elaborates while in contemplation.

The albino had thought about the subject for a long while now. It wasn't as if both sides didn't wish for peace. It was just that old tradition, hurt pride, and a continuous cycle of pain and revenge have been set into place. However, the largest problem is that it would be very difficult to disrupt this twisted balance that has already been formed in their world. They would need something huge and disrupting that would force both clans together towards a new age.

Tobirama concludes, "Some sort of uncontrollable event..." He whispers the thought. "...that would unite us all…"

Izuna doesn't reply, but he hears those words—and, they repeat in his mind even when he is home, in his own bed watching the moon outside his window.

Some sort of uncontrollable event that would unite us all…

...if only such a thing could occur.

I want to thank all of those who continue to encourage me to continue my stories. I hope to finish every story I have started (major stories not drabble-like ones at least). Your words have encouraged me to continue to persevere, so thank you very much!

This is the draft schedule I have in mind for my story focuses (which ones I will be aiming to finish first):

1. Kizuna

2. Dawn

3. Kakashi Chronicles: Colliding Worlds

4. Fate/Another Night

As you see, I have not included Perfect Doll or Kakashi Chronicles. I do intend to complete them, but as both of their storylines are quite drastically long, it will take me a while to rework them to be more plot-focused. I will try to write them in between my other works as well, so do not worry, they will be continued.

I will give a formal announcement on my next chapter update for both stories on what I plan to do with them in the future. As for my other non-Naruto stories, I will most likely be planning on rewriting/working most of them.

Thank you for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it.

Please leave a review before you leave~