A/N: For those of you who read the previous chapter when I first published it, parts of this chapter will be familiar. While some parts are the same, there is a TON of new content to enjoy! I have been doing some updates and I decided to split the previous chapter into two separate parts. Having it all bunched together made the story feel a bit rushed so I decided to break it up and expand on some scenes.

Enjoy the new content while I continue work on the epilogue! I want to make it juuust right since this story has been so important to me.

"This is the stupidest idea you've ever had," Izuna growled under his breath for the dozenth time that day. Despite the quiet panic in his tone, his expression remained inscrutable from the outside as he stood at Madara's side.

"Perhaps," Madara answered quietly as he continued to wait patiently, not allowing his own anxiety to show in his expression as he looked ahead.

"We're going to die," his brother hissed once again.

"Possibly," he replied, watching as the wooden gate painted with the Senju MC crest slowly slid open and revealed a dozen armed Senju on the other side of the wooden gate.

Hashirama and Tobirama stood at the front of the silent crowd, Tobirama's face the picture of disgruntlement but Hashirama's expression betraying something deeper that his obvious confusion. Madara's gaze snapped between the Senju leaders, two men he had spent the last few decades fighting on sight. The last time he had seen either of them, he had beaten one of their family members to death with his bare hands and had threatened their entire bloodline.

The fact that they hadn't already dragged them into the Senju compound to tear them to pieces was a good sign.

Madara's gaze caught on Tobirama's stance, the man favoring one leg far more than the other, the subtle change in how he held himself revealing his injury despite his attempt at concealing it. He could tell by the calculating look in the Senju Vice President's eyes that he had noticed Madara's own injury, the still healing wound in his stomach aching with every breath.

When Madara looked to Hashirama, he prayed that the hesitation in the man's expression was from the same hope he held in his own chest. Taking a handful of steps forward, Madara and Izuna stepped into the Senju compound, the wooden gate closing behind them and leaving them at the mercy of the Senju MC. Their vulnerability was an expression of trust and faith that was not lost on the stunned crowd of hesitant Senju.

"To what do we owe the visit?" Hashirama questioned, presenting a tone and an expression of careful neutrality.

"I heard the news," Madara answered vaguely instead, watching as a range of emotions passed across the faces of the dozen Senju at Hashirama's back, "You have my condolences for the loss of your loved ones."

"You've killed dozens more of our clan with your own hands than we lost to Danzo's scheming. What good does something as worthless as your condolences do for us?" Tobirama growled in return, Izuna's eyes narrowing in challenge.

Reaching out, Madara placed a heavy hand on Izuna's shoulder, interrupting the string of insults he knew grew in his brother's chest. The younger Uchiha huffed instead, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at the Senju across from him.

"Little to nothing, I suspect. However, I've come with an offer that I believe will be far more valuable."

"It must be quite the deal if you're willing to risk not only your life but your brother's life by coming here. You know the danger you're facing. After our last meeting, you're lucky we don't kill you both here and now," Hashirama explained before demanding, "What do you want?"

"I want to finish what we started," Madara answered vaguely, watching as an emotion broke through Hashirama's indifferent expression. An emotion he hadn't seen since they were children: hope.

"Considering our last exchange, I'm afraid you'll have to clarify. Speak plainly."

"The Shimura Syndicate has declared war on both my family and yours. If Danzo has his way, he would kill us all and take the city by force. With the resources he has at his disposal, he may very well succeed. If we remain weak and divided, we die. If we join forces, at least for now, we can protect our families and our city."

Whispers erupted between the Senju at Hashirama and Tobirama's backs, a dull roar rising in response to his declaration. Even Tobirama was taken aback, shock taking the place in his expression normally reserved for distaste. Madara had expected Hashirama to be surprised but, instead, the Senju smiled.

When Hashirama finally spoke, his brief flash of a smile disappearing, his family became silent to listen.

"The Shimura Syndicate leveled a fatal blow against our club, taking the lives of six of our family. Alone and battling in two wars, I worry more of those I loved will find their deaths before we find justice for those who have already passed."

The silence grew heavier around them, weighed down by the sorrow of all those in mourning.

"However… You've brought us an interesting proposition."

"It's as they say: the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Indeed. You have given my officers and I much to consider. For now…" Hashirama looked to the prospect manning the exit, the young woman opening the gate and allowing the Uchiha to leave. "We'll send a messenger when we're ready to give our answer."

Madara nodded once, knowing that the conversation was complete for now. He had accomplished what he had needed, leaving the offer for peace - an offer thinly veiled behind a desire for revenge and a need for survival - in Hashirama's hands. What happened next was out of his control but, as him and Izuna walked out of the compound and returned to their bikes parked out front, Madara somehow already knew the Senju's answer.

"Until then," he called out casually before the wooden gate shut behind them both.

Madara had been certain it would be at least a couple of weeks before the Senju sent their messenger, positive that Tobirama and Touka's hesitation and distrust would stall the temporary armistice. So when Hashirama and Tobirama appeared on the Uchiha MC's doorstep mere days after Madara and Izuna had visited the Senju clubhouse, he - and the entire chapter - had been shocked.

Despite their distrust, the club had been cordial, allowing them into their clubhouse unhindered. Dropping the contents of their pockets into the basket outside of the room Madara and Izuna normally held church in, the four leaders of the Uchiha MC and the Senju MC took a seat inside, bringing in nothing but the clothes on their backs and a scroll in Hashirama's hand.

Sitting in the room normally designated for only his inner circle with two of his worst enemies to discuss peace felt so surreal Madara hesitated to believe it was reality.

Sliding the rolled up parchment across the table, Hashirama passed the treaty to Madara, the Uchiha unfurling it across the table for both him and Izuna to inspect. As his eyes flicked across the paper, the contents were so shocking he worried he had indeed died on the floor of his bathroom.

The agreement that Hashirama and Tobirama had brought - one already signed by all of the officers in their club - was so simple in nature and short in length that Madara wondered if the Senju President was a genius or an idiot.

'Until the disbandment of The Shimura Syndicate and all others who threaten the lives of the Uchiha and the Senju families, the Uchiha MC and the Senju MC will stand as allies.'

By specifying not only The Shimura Syndicate but also these nonspecific enemies who threatened the lives of both of their families, they allowed for the doors of peace to remain open passed the destruction of Danzo's organization. That brief addition may have been simple but the meaning behind it expressed far, far more.

"We've been waiting for an out to finally end our war," Hashirama spoke, all of the eyes in the room snapping up to meet his.

"Hashirama," Tobirama reprimanded in a single word, his voice harsh as he tried to get his brother to stop.

"No, Tobirama, this needs to be spoken if we want this to last. It's time we laid out all of our cards and made a decision based in truth," he argued, his brother scowling but staying silent. Looking back to Madara and Izuna, his expression and his tone were open with emotion, "We're desperate to finally stop looking over our shoulders, to finally stop soaking our hands in blood, to finally stop seeing our loved ones die. We just needed a reason everyone could get behind."

Hearing the thoughts Madara had been having for years echoed from the man before him felt like a blow to the chest, hope springing forth from the place hesitation still lingered. Tamping it back down, he forced his voice into a tone of distrust before asking, "And what fuels this desperation now after everything that has happened? How can we trust you aren't using us to get your revenge before redirecting that bloodlust to our family once again?"

"Seeing how far our previous Secretary and his lackeys sunk; hearing that they had not only attacked an innocent, pregnant woman but that that person was Sakura, Tsunade's own apprentice…" Tobirama began, a furious scowl twisting his expression before he spat, "We are sickened."

"Their violence forced us to address the so called justice of our own actions. We tried to hide behind the thin line we drew in the sands of our morality. But looking back on the years of violence and the graves we've left behind…" Hashirama sighed heavily, resting his elbows on the table as if a great weight sat upon his shoulders, "We have perpetuated a never ending cycle of revenge that has cost hundreds of lives on both sides. We can't consider ourselves above it any longer."

"If this progresses smoothly, it can finally lead to a lasting peace," the Senju vice president finished.

"That's almost funny coming from you," Izuna hissed, glaring at the man he had spent the last two decades trying to kill on sight. "It was because of you that our first treaty failed!" he snarled, jabbing a finger at him. "You were leading attacks on our properties. You were taking advantage of our ceasefire to rob us blind!"

"You're right," Tobirama admitted, taking the wind out of Izuna's sails and the breath he had been gathering to fuel his tirade, "I knew that our first treaty would never work out. None of us were ready for peace but I hadn't helped by being the first to disregard it. I apologize for my actions and for breaking the promise I had made to you and your family."

All three men stared at the younger Senju, all struggling to find the words to speak in the face of Tobirama's uncharacteristic apology. Madara and Hashirama's gazes met across the table before flicking back to Tobirama who sat patiently. Sighing, Izuna leaned back into his chair, folding his arms across his chest as his red hot rage cooled to a flickering ember of irritation.

"Fine. It's not as if you don't have a point," he begrudgingly admitted, breaking the stunned silence, before snapping, "But we are all ready now! So you better not fuck it up or I'll kill you this time."

"Were you not trying all this time?" Tobirama snarked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lip.

"How characteristic it is of you to fail to realize how many opportunities I had that I was too polite to take advantage of," he growled in return, a faint blush creeping up his neck.

"How considerate of you," he taunted, Izuna bristling further, "I'll endeavor to make sure you stay well-behaved."

"Children, children, if we could stop flirting and focus on the peace talks, we can get a move on with our assassination plots," Hashirama chided, exasperated, as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

This time both younger brothers' tempers flared, the two yelling over each other and at Hashirama.

"I am not flirting with this scumbag!" "I would rather fucking die!"

Madara immediately snorted, his noise of amusement rapidly degrading into outright chuckles. Humor that was shared with Hashirama, both of the presidents unable to hold back their laughter at their brothers' expenses. Izuna and Tobirama glared at their older brothers, their stances nearly mirrored as they folded their arms across their chests in discontent.

For a moment, the morose atmosphere from their meeting thus far lifted away, leaving behind not four leaders of Konoha's most dangerous criminal organizations but instead just four brothers. For a moment, it was Madara sitting in a room with his childhood friend and their siblings.

For a moment, everything was so simple.

They all needed this. They were desperate for this. And for the first time in the history of their families, they had the opportunity to create the brighter future that they wanted for the people they loved. A future they wanted for themselves.

When their laughter finally faded, Madara was the first to speak.

"We understand. And we agree. This is the opportunity we need to convince not just each other but our families to put an end to our war. This is the opportunity we've been searching for."

"Let's make this work this time then. I'm not doing this a third time," Izuna grumbled from beside him.

After Hashirama and Tobirama left the Uchiha MC clubhouse, parting from the Uchihas' home away from home with handshakes instead of gunfire, Madara announced an emergency meeting with his officers.

Considering that news of the Senju President and Vice President appearing at their clubhouse had spread quickly within their ranks, all of the officers were already present, some waiting more patiently than others for their president and vice president to call church. Filing into the room that the Uchiha and Senju leaders had just vacated, the inner circle of the Uchiha MC gathered around the simple treaty which remained on the table between them.

Without hesitation, Obito was the first to grab the signed ceasefire, reading it over in little more than a few moments. Eyebrow furrowing, he read it again, before looking to Madara and holding out the paper for the others to inspect.

"Seriously? That's it?" he asked as Itachi took the scroll from his hand, Shisui and Izumi crowding him as they read the page together, "Is Hashirama an idiot?"

"Debatable," Madara answered honestly, "In this instance, however…"

"It's genius," Itachi commented simply, placing the treaty in the center of the table, "The simplicity of it and the specification of this unknown 'anyone' who threatens our families makes way for sustained peace. We can consider nearly anyone a danger to both of our families, even going as far as the police. This is a treaty for an indefinite ceasefire and a continued alliance after the defeat of the Shimura Syndicate."

"Precisely." Madara nodded, satisfied Itachi came to the same conclusion he had.

"This wouldn't be the first time that we've attempted a truce. Look what happened last time!" Obito snarled, leaning back into his chair dismissively, "That bastard Tobirama attacked three of our properties and forced us into a conflict. How could we possibly trust them?"

"Tobirama apologized," Izuna revealed, murmurs of surprise filling the room.

"I'm sorry, did you say Tobirama - the Vice President of the Senju MC and your own personal mortal enemy - apologized?" Obito scoffed in disbelief.

"Believe it or not, yes," he answered, an edge to his tone, "For a man as full of himself as him, that's something to consider. Whether that means the piece of shit will actually keep his word this time is up for debate. But he apologized."

"Excellent, so now we can forgive anyone as long as they apologize. I'll have to stop killing people who say they're sorry. Shame on me for taking the lives of all those who begged me for forgiveness," Obito jeered.

"This is different and you know it, Obito," Izumi chided, the elder Uchiha scoffing in return, "This is an excellent opportunity. We've been waiting for something like this to come along and I think we should take advantage of it while we can."

"I don't know if this is an excellent opportunity or anything… But I do think it's important to take a chance here. If we don't team up, there's a good chance we'll both get wiped out by Danzo. Or at least we'll be losing a lot of people. We can't afford to screw around right now," Shisui added, Itachi and Izumi nodding in agreement, "Even if it blows up in our faces, we can survive long enough to kill Danzo with this."

"Any counterargument, Obito?" Madara asked, the one eyed Uchiha scowling at him, "This is a critical moment for our club. I will not move ahead with this treaty if even one of us says no. This needs to be unanimous."

"We can't trust them. They only want to make this truce so they can get back against the Shimura. They lost a handful of their own and they're weaker because of it. They want to use us to get their revenge."

"Then we use them right back," Izuna challenged, Obito raising an unimpressed eyebrow in return, "Do you think we'll be able to fight both the Shimura and the Senju at the same time? Can you promise me that we won't lose any of our family in the fighting?"

Obito remained silent in response.

"Exactly. For now, we take advantage of this truce. We take down the Shimura, we help the Senju get revenge for their fallen while we get our own revenge for Danzo almost killing Madara." Izuna punctuated his point by jabbing his thumb towards Madara. "This is an opportunity we can use to keep the people we love out of the grave."

"Afterwards, we just keep a close eye on them. Monitor their activity, keep our guard up, make sure they don't go back on their word. If peace is maintained, then the treaty is a success. If they betray us again, then we go back to the status quo," Izumi added with a shrug.

"No matter what way you look at it, we have nothing to lose but everything to gain," Itachi finished simply.

"Tch," Obito scoffed, his gaze dipping down to the treaty on the table, "Who would have thought I would be the only one trying to talk sense into everyone. You are all too desperate for peace, it's clouding your judgement!"

"One could argue that you're the only one desperate for war, attack dog," Shisui commented harshly.

"You don't know anything of war or loss yet, you haven't lost a damn thing! You're still a child, you know nothing of what I've been through and nothing of what the Senju can do!" Obito roared as he sat forward in his seat to stab an accusing finger toward Shisui, the young Uchiha bristling in return.

"You don't know a fucking thing about-!" Shisui retorted, his chair screeching across the floor as he shot to his feet before being stopped by Izumi's hand on his arm.

"Shisui, please," she gently beseeched, Shisui's twisted expression softening before he grumbled and flopped back into his seat with a muttered insult.

"Obito," Izumi started, rubbing Shisui on the arm before turning to face her club's Sergeant at Arms, "You're justified in your anger and your distrust. You've suffered so much at the hands of the Senju. You lost two very important people. You lost your limbs and your eye."

"Are you going to bring up my dead parents next in this comprehensive list of my shitty life events or are you going to get to the point?" Obito snapped.

Izumi ignored his prickly response, pressing onward. "We have the opportunity now to stop what happened to you from ever happening to anyone else, to protect everyone. And even if it doesn't work… We can use this truce to keep the Shimura from killing the people we care about. If the Senju betray us, you can say you tried."

"Fat load of good trying has done for any of us," Obito hissed, "They don't put participation trophies on graves."

"Maybe not but the respect you earn in life dictates the number of people who will visit your headstone."

"I'll be dead, what do I care who visits my rotting corpse?"

"What do you think Sakura would think if she found out we turned down a chance at peace - no matter how unlikely - because you were convinced it was pointless?" Itachi interrupted, the eyes of everyone at the table widening.

"Fuck you," Obito snarled.

Ever since Madara's near death experience, Obito had been delicate around Sakura. He had always been gentle with Madara's old lady, the woman his closest friend outside of the club, but whatever he had seen in that bathroom had made him soft around her. Madara didn't mention it, giving his best friend his emotional privacy, but Itachi had no qualms about ripping open that still fresh wound for the sake of this potential peace.

"Do you think she'll appreciate all of the injuries she'll be forced to tend to as we try to fight the Senju and the Shimura at the same time? What about when people start dying?" he pressed on.

"Fuck you," he repeated, this time with even more venom.

"What about when you die? Will she appreciate you killing yourself because you're too stubborn to give this treaty a chance?"

"Do you really think you can use her as some kind of leverage against me? She's not my fucking wife."

"No but you respect her for everything she's done and you care about her as her friend," Itachi clarified before addressing the rest of the group, "She may not be in this meeting but, as our doctor, she's an important part of our club now. Her opinion is valuable for this discussion since she will be the one carting our corpses."

"He has a point," Izuna sighed, unconsciously touching the scar on his stomach from where he had been shot just earlier that year, "She may not be a patched-in member of the club but she's our doctor. She'll be the one trying to scrape together our mangled bodies while we try to fight a war on two fronts."

"We can't make the decision based solely on her experience and inferred opinion. She can always leave if she disagrees with out decision. But…" Izumi added before turning back to Obito, "This is something to consider in addition to everything else on the table right now."

"More than that… Obito, we need to consider the promise we made to Tsunade," Izuna added vaguely, the Sergeant at Arm's gaze snapping up to meet his in a moment of meaningful silence, "We can't back down after what we said. After what she did for us."

Obito's shoulders sagged as his eye flicked back down at the treaty in the center of the table, all eyes in the room focused on him as he scowled at the paper. The rest of the MC waited patiently for his argument, watching as the Uchiha Enforcer reached across the table to drag the page in front of him. Aside from Izuna, everyone was shocked when he grabbed the pen from the center of the table and signed his name instead.

"Never say I'm not a man of my word. And don't come crying to me when those Senju bastards betray us again! This is a big fucking mistake," he snarled, carelessly sliding the treaty and the pen back to the center of the table, "But if it keeps some of us above ground for a few extra weeks, fine."

Reaching out with a grateful smile, Madara firmly patted Obito on the shoulder in thanks. The younger man just scoffed, looking away and leaning back into his chair with a dissatisfied grumble. He watched silently as the scroll was passed between the rest of the officers, names slowly filling the treaty that could change their futures forever.

Just a few short days later, after Madara had delivered the news of the Uchiha's acceptance of the Senju's treaty and their terms, the officers of both of the clubs had decided to meet at a semi-secluded warehouse at the edge of the city. The private building they chose was one owned by the Uchiha MC, a show of faith from the Senju MC since the last treaty they had attempted had been actively subverted by the Senju Vice President.

Not only that, but the partial seclusion allowed for them to avoid unneeded attention from the public - namely the police. Seeing a dozen bikes from the warring MCs parked at the same location would raise more than a few eyebrows and would raise even more concerns. Concerns neither club had the time or the patience to address quite yet.

When they first arrived at the location that Itachi had chosen for their meeting, Madara had been deeply amused by the fact that the warehouse was the same one he had taken Sakura to when they had first met. Keeping that tidbit to himself - although he already planned on sharing the news with his fiancée later and wondered if she would find it as amusing as he did - he focused his attention to the pack of Senju riders pulling up into the gated facility.

All members of the clubs were wary with one another - giving each other curt but polite greetings - but maintained their civility as they entered the well lit warehouse. Passing by a few messy rows of bikes in various states of repair, they entered into a back office where a table surrounded by chairs had already been set up.

The presidents and vice presidents of the clubs sat at either end of the table, their officers seating themselves along the edges and closely watching one another.

Madara was struck once again by how surreal the situation before him had been. How he had never thought he would actually accomplish a truce with the Senju MC, let alone that they would one day work together to fight a common opponent. He had thought that he would be killed before this day would come and, sitting in a room to discuss battle plans for the future with a group of people he would have attempted to kill on sight just a week ago made him feel as if he were dreaming.

When they finally begun to plan out possible methods of attack, meticulously laying out battle plans and assassination plots with open bloodlust in their voices, he knew that this was no dream. Their carefully plotted bloodbath was little more than a horrific nightmare that they were planning to bring into reality.

"We should have a celebration once this is over," Hashirama commented, surprising them all with his cheerful comment in the middle of their meticulously outlined carnage.

Madara wasn't able to help the smile that rose in response, surprised but happy to find out that his childhood friend still had the same friendly and hopeful personality that he did when they were kids.

"We will," he decided, already knowing in his heart that there was nothing waiting for them but success.

The systematically conducted massacre that followed for two months after, both the Uchiha and the Senju MCs working in lethal conjunction to eradicate every trace of the Shimura Syndicate, had been so astonishingly successful that neither side lost a single member. With two of the most powerful and dangerous clubs working together to hunt down members of the Syndicate, Danzo's army didn't stand a chance.

Over the months that followed their armistice, the Uchiha and the Senju turned war into bloodsport.

Every member of the clubs conducted attacks and assassinations, kidnapping key members and subjecting them to the horrors of inspired torture before using the knowledge to flush out more of their enemies. It was as if they had redirected the hate that once burned for one another and turned it against Danzo's army, cutting a bloody swath through their ranks like they had been born to do so.

Bloodlust that was once turned onto each other was focused onto the Syndicate that had tried and failed to destroy them both. Their combined fury was focused on the man who had tried to take advantage of decades of suffering to further his own ends and take their city - their country - by force.

If took generations of war before they finally found the enemy they both needed to find a semblance of comradery within one another.

It only took nine and a half weeks to finally corner Danzo.

It was a lead from one of Danzo's now dead followers that gave them the information they needed to trap the Shimura Syndicate leader as he tried to flee Konoha - escaping the city who he had lost his vice grip around.

In an astonishing feat of communication and skill, the Uchiha MC and the Senju MC had worked together to quarantine off one of the major freeways leading out of town. The two clubs utilized their fleet of vehicles to strategically halt and maneuver the pedestrians driving along the freeway, manipulating them into stopping or falling back away from Danzo's limousine.

For a single, brief minute, they cleared out a stretch of freeway, allowing them to enact their plan without fear of innocents being caught in the crossfire or any of Danzo's henchmen interfering. Not only was the feat the perfect trap to finally capture Danzo, it was a display of the strength they found only through their newfound comradery.

Madara sat patiently in the back of a Obito's truck, the man grinning as he coordinated through walkie talkie with Toka who drove the van next to them. The two enforcers bickered and provoked one another in a way that, despite the viciousness of their words, sounded playful. Madara had been surprised by many developments over the past couple months but seeing his closest friend and the rakish woman become such good friends was one of the happier ones.

"Are we ready?" Tobirama's voice sounded over the walkie, Izuna snatching the device from Obito's hand and chiding him for driving with only his knee during such an important mission.

"Try to keep up, would you? I know your delicate leg has been bothering you," Izuna mercilessly taunted into the receiver.

"I'll shove this delicate leg up your ass, you worthless drunk," the Senju vice president growled through the walkie although his retort lacked the bite it once had.

More than anything, Madara had been shocked by Izuna and Tobirama of all people finding an extraordinarily unlikely companionship. A pact he hesitated to call a friendship simply because of the constantly antagonizing relationship the two had. The closer he watched them, the more his theories wandered further.

"If you can hang up on your lover for five minutes, we have a war to win," Obito grumbled as he met Toka's eyes from across the road, the two begining to weave and decelerate, trapping Danzo's limousine between them and forcing the driver to slow down.

As they came to a complete stop on the freeway barren of cars on either side, both Madara and Izuna and Hashirama and Tobirama emerged from the backs of their vehicles, automatic rifles raised as they descended onto Danzo's ride. Hashirama strode forward to the driver door and knocked on the glass, the young man behind the wheel rolling down the window, unsure of what else to do.

"Good afternoon, young man. If you'd be so kind as to exit the vehicle and go take a seat in a van of your choosing, I can promise you'll leave here with your life," the Senju president threatened politely as he pressed the unlock button on the inside of the driver door, the man swallowing before slowly exiting and following his directions.

Tobirama and Izuna, however, were far less polite as they tore open the doors leading into the back of the limousine, both demanding that Danzo's hired guards follow the same directions as the driver. With the not so loyal guards unwilling to lose their lives for their boss, they exited the back of the vehicle without another word, Tobirama and Izuna following behind.

One didn't gain trust by ruling with an iron fist, they only gained fear, and fear was not something that afforded true allies.

As their brothers and abductees all stepped into the backs of the vans and took off, Hashirama made himself at home behind the wheel of Danzo's vehicle and Madara in the back with Danzo himself. Reaching above him, Madara tapped on a button which lowered the divider between him and the front seat.

"I've never driven a limo before! How exciting," Hashirama declared as he set his rifle across the front seat, buckling in before taking off after the vans with a smile.

"I've never been in the back of one, I've only ever worked on them. Looks like this is a fun experience for the both of us," Madara joked in return, leaning back against the partition as he rested his rifle on his knee, the barrel centered on Danzo, "How about you, Danzo? Is this exciting for you too?"

"You'll never get away with this," Danzo hissed instead.

"I hate to break it to you but we already have," Madara corrected with a smirk, "You're a dead man, Danzo. You've been dead ever since you tried to take us down."

"Did you really think we were animals so bloodthirsty we couldn't put aside our differences long enough to destroy you?" Hashirama asked, mock offense in his tone, "I'm surprised you didn't do your research! You seemed like a smart man."

"It doesn't matter if you kill me, my Syndicate will never die. You'll never kill my legacy," the elder man growled instead.

"Not with that attitude!" Hashirama hummed as he turned off the freeway, following the vans down a road that led to one of the Senju's remote properties in the forest surrounding town.

"I'd wager that, with us working together, we'll destroy every trace of your precious legacy in the coming year. Well, at least in the ways that matter." Madara shrugged. "All of the years, the decades, of hard work you put into your syndicate will be gone before my daughter's first birthday."

"Ah, your first child, how exciting! You'll cry when baby Sarada's born, I'll warn you of that now," the Senju added wistfully before laughing, "Well, if your wife doesn't make you cry by breaking your hand first."

The Uchiha snickered before teasing his friend, "I take it you're speaking from experience?"

"You're monsters. Demons. Less than that, you're dogs!" Danzo snarled, trying to hide his fear behind frothing anger, "You'll never amount to anything and neither will your filthy, bastard children. You're all worthless, roaches beneath me and what I've accomplished!"

"Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what you think of us, Danzo," Madara sighed, irritation at being interrupted coloring his tone as Hashirama finally came to a stop behind a cabin hidden in the woods, "After all, you're already dead."

Pulling the trigger once, the ear splitting crack of a single round of gunfire filling the cab of the limousine. A single hole - a dark space where flesh should be before blood replaced it - appeared just above Danzo's functioning eye. The man's jaw slackened before he limply sagged back against the chair. His wide eyed expression didn't fade in death, even as his body slowly slumped sideways across the leather seat.

Even though Madara felt the same sickness within him that he felt every time he took a life, it was overpowered by the relief he felt knowing that the war was finally over. They had finally found the catalyst they needed to bring the change they had dreamed of since they were children. That they had finally found the path they needed for peace.

Considering everything they had been through - all of the blood, the death, and the suffering - it would have felt anti-climatic if not for the weight of an endless war finally lifting off of his heart and allowing him to breathe easy for the first time since he was a child.

It was a couple of weeks later that the Uchiha MC and the Senju MC finally threw their party.

Although the clubs were secretly celebrating the death of Danzo and the crippling blow to the Shimura Syndicate, the official reasoning behind the party - and one that both of the families in their entirety were celebrating - was to honor the official treaty between the clubs.

All of the chapters of the MCs were present, hundreds of members of both clubs from all over the country attending to celebrate a monumental point in the history of their families. Although tension remained beneath the surface, a shadow just at the edge of their party, joy overpowered it.

Bikes were parked next to each other out front, neat rows of motorcycles from both MCs lined up together. Uchiha and Senju both traded drinks, smokes, and stories, waiting patiently for the officers of the mothers chapters to sign the newly drafted treaty they had created for a lasting peace.

After sitting down for a week with all of the officers of each of the mother chapters, they had decided to finally quash the lingering bad blood between them and to establish an official treaty untainted by the Shimura Syndicate. With the companionship that had taken root during the siege against the Shimura - and with the lingering threat of the Syndicate which remained on the horizon, Danzo's successor having disappeared before his capture - it had been easier than either club had imagined to begin to make amends.

While there were injustices which could never be forgiven, crimes which would never be forgotten, and atrocities that could never be brought to light, Madara and Hashirama both refused to allow the chance at a lasting peace to be lost to lingering rage. While there were countless horrors over the course of their lifetimes that would darken the treaty until those old enough to remember them died with their secrets, the clubs were finally able to create a truce based on mutual gain.

Izuna and Obito were driving forces in pushing for this peace, fulfilling the promise they had made to Tsunade in exchange for Madara's life all those months ago. While both of the Uchiha still struggled with their lingering trauma and hatred tied to the Senju, unexpected bonds with Tobirama and Toka allowed for them to more easily challenge their rage and replace it with a leap of faith.

While all of the members of the clubs were aware of these surprising friendships - possibly more if you asked the right people - they kept their opinions to themselves for fear of upsetting the delicate bonds still growing between them all.

More than anything, the Uchiha and the Senju both were all sick of the constant fighting, bloodshed, and loss. After years of knowing nothing but violence and mourning, they were tired of waiting to die themselves for a war they couldn't even remember the beginning of. After decades of fighting, they would band together to form a city so strong that the Shimura could never threaten their homes; a union so powerful not even the Akatsuki could stand between them and the people they loved.

As Madara finally stepped forward to the treaty between the Uchiha and the Senju - the piece of thick parchment set atop an ornate table in the center of the party - he looked into the crowd behind him. Finding Sakura, his fiancée happily chatting with Tsunade and Hashirama's wife Mito, he felt his heart swell with joy. When their eyes met, her smile widening at his attention, the adoration in her expression made it impossible for him to focus on anything but her as he returned her smile.

He had made so many promises to her over the past year they had been together, the short time together feeling instead like they had always been side by side. He had promised her he would do anything it took to end the war. He had promised her he would never leave her side. He had promised her he would never scare her like he had when he had died beneath her hands. He had made so many promises and ones that he intended to keep.

He wanted to make her happy, to make it so she never had to worry again, to make it so their daughter could grow up in a city where they never had to fear they'd be killed for their bloodline. He wanted to become a person that she could not only love but that she could be proud to stand beside. He wanted to become a person who he himself could be proud of, to accomplish a peace that made all of the rings tattooed around his arms mean more than meaningless carnage.

Hashirama stepped forward to stand next to him, interrupting his adoration of his wife by patting him on the shoulder and pulling him into a brotherly hug which he returned with a laugh.

"Are you ready to usher in a new age of peace for our families?" he asked, a smile spread wide across his face as he picked up the pen set in front of the treaty, holding it out to him first.

Madara smiled as he took it. "Let's change the world."

A/N: In this AU, Sai has inherited the remnants of the Shimura Syndicate and disappeared before he could be captured. There was a smidgen of Tobirama/Izuna and Obito/Toka in this chapter, if you blinked you might have missed it!

There was a lot of one sided ObiSaku in this chapter too, you had to blink for a while to miss that one though. I actually have an angsty ObiSaku story planned that takes place in this universe. I've been slowly plugging away at it but, at the moment, I'm focusing on finishing this story and updating Homeward.

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