Hashirama and Madara

Hashirama recounts the beginning of his bond with Madara Uchiha. As boys they meet at a river where a frustrated Madara tries and fails to skip a stone to the far bank; Hashirama surprises him by sending his own stone all the way across. Embarrassed after Madara vents his irritation, Hashirama apologizes, and from that awkward moment an unusual friendship takes root, neither boy revealing his family name.

Among the Senju, a funeral is held for the fallen, including Hashirama's younger brother Kawarama. Hashirama protests to his father that children should not be sent to war and is struck for it. He talks with his brothers Tobirama and Itama about the grinding conflict with the Uchiha and the practice of throwing children into battle. Another clash erupts, and Itama is slain by Uchiha shinobi; Hashirama arrives too late to save him. At the river, Madara notices Hashirama's grief and confides that he too has lost brothers to the war. Despite their shared sorrow, the pair keep training together and their friendship deepens. Afterward, Tobirama fetches Hashirama on their father Butsuma's summons. Butsuma reveals he had Tobirama shadow Hashirama and learned the boy Madara comes from the Uchiha clan, having killed grown ninja of the Senju. Warning that the tie could amount to treason, Butsuma orders Hashirama to trail Madara after training and, should the Uchiha grow suspicious, to kill him.

A small difference from the manga has Butsuma striking Hashirama with his right hand in the anime rather than his left. The episode adapts chapters 621 through 623, aired in Japan on July 3, 2014, and in English on January 17, 2017, and uses the opening Crimson Lotus and the ending Never Change feat.Lyu:Lyu.