Madara made it back to the Uchiha camps just as dawn was beginning to break. Under the gray cast of the sky, he crept past Izuna and pulled the covers up to feign sleep. He'd be exhausted later from his midnight expedition, but it was so, so worth it. His little brother would thank him one day when they lived in an era of peace, where their children would not have to pick up kunai, where they would not watch them be slaughtered on the fields of battle.

Madara supposed the Senju would be there too. In his pretty daydream of peace, it was easy to picture Hashirama, and if he focused, Madara could force the image of Hashirama's little brother Tobirama to come into focus. But they made for a strange juxtaposition in an imagined world of only Uchiha and the thing about Hashirama was he didn't want peace for just his clan, but everyone. The whole country, no, the whole world Hashirama wanted to be at peace. Madara didn't understand his point of view, how he could wish peace and wellness on not just his clan but his enemies. Madara could scarcely extend that same courtesy to the Senju who had killed his brothers and so many of his clansmen. But if Hashirama could do it for the Uchiha, and Madara knew he would, then Madara could at least try to do the same for the Senju. And if all else failed, Madara would have the power of the moon girl, Haruno Sakura, on his side.