The second his blade slides in to Izuna 's chest he realizes his error. How he never realized it before is beyond him, with all the times they have battled. There is no mistaking it now. As his sword cuts through armor and flesh and organs, pain unlike anything he has ever felt blossoms in his own torso. He gasps for breath while the other man meets his eyes, both horrified as the realization hits them at the same time. They go down together.

Madara 's enraged shout barely registers over the sound of ringing in his ears. Tobirama struggles to reach across the small distance between them, his hand scrabbling in the dirt and trailing through the blood oozing from Izuna 's wounds. Wounds that he himself inflicted.

'Get away from him! ' Madara growls, pulling his brother in to his arms. Tobirama makes a noise of protest as the pain that wracks through Izuna 's body at the movement crashes down over him as well. His eyes roll wildly, searching.