Chapter 254: Hashirama's Slip of Paper

Late at night, the Hokage Office remained brightly lit.

"Where did that kid actually go?"

Qianshou Feijian glanced at the dusk outside the window and couldn't help muttering.

Lian Ye attended Ri Zhan's wedding, and then vanished without a trace.

He didn't even receive tonight's dinner.

There was no sign of the kid in the Village; it seemed he had left.

Feijian currently had no mind for official duties, only to learn Lian Ye's whereabouts.

Normally, the kid would give advance notice before leaving the Village; he wouldn't just disappear without a word, so something must have happened...

Qianshou Feijian had the ANBU retrieve Lian Ye's mission logs, and found no record of him taking a task today.

That meant the kid had left the Village for some other reason.

"What kind of matter would make that kid rush away without even a greeting?" Qianshou Feijian fell into thought.

He constantly felt the kid was hiding something from him.

He planned to wait another two days; if Lian Ye still hadn't returned after that, he would personally leave the Village to search for him.

After all, he had already placed the Flying Thunder God Seal on the kid, so locating him would be a breeze.

Even now, Qianshou Feijian couldn't understand—what could be so important to make Lian Ye leave without a word.

"Gurgle—" his stomach protested.

"That kid left without even a heads‑up," Qianshou Feijian said disgruntled, then opened a drawer and took out two Soldier's Ration Pills.

Tonight he'd have to fend off his hunger with just those pills.

—————

Fire Country cave.

When Lian Ye groggily awoke, he found himself still inside the cave, while outside the sky was completely dark.

Damn!

After getting drunk, he accidentally overslept.

Darn, drinking caused trouble!

He hadn't even prepared dinner for that old kid Qianshou Feijian!

If that old kid came looking, wouldn't the matter of Hashirama and Madara be exposed?

Lian Ye grew increasingly frightened; after all, he bore the Flying Thunder God Seal, and if Qianshou Feijian teleported him and saw the already dead Madara and Hashirama...

That would be a disaster!

Right, what about Madara and Hashirama?

He looked around puzzled, but saw no sign of the two.

"Uncle Hashirama, Lord Ban?" Lian Ye called softly.

He shouted for a while, yet no one answered.

"Strange, where did they go?" Lian Ye clutched his drowsy head and rose from the wooden bed.

The original wooden beds were covered in moss, but the one he slept on was not; it seemed Hashirama had remade it with Wood Release.

Lian Ye went to the dining table and found a slip of paper, presumably left by Hashirama and Madara.

【Haha, Madara and I left first; we saw you were drunk and didn't wake you. Next time, if someone pours you a drink you can't finish, you can refuse—don't foolishly drink it all…】

Reading the first half, he gave a wry smile and shook his head.

He hadn't realized one could refuse; he thought elders' drinks were mandatory.

Had he known, he wouldn't have drunk so much.

Lian Ye's gaze stayed on the note, but the second half made his face darken.

【Lian Ye, you must be careful; Madara wants to lure you into the "Moon's Eye" project. I don't know how he'll deceive you, but be extra cautious! Madara is now almost mad for his ideal, and I can't stop him!】

"Madara Uchiha really set his sights on me."

Lian Ye had long known Madara had designs on him, but not what method he'd use to deceive him.

Could it be like the way he fooled Uchiha Obito?

First kill those he cares about, make him witness their deaths, then cause him to awaken the Kaleidoscope Sharingan from the pain and fully turn dark.

Ultimately join Madara Uchiha to create a world without suffering.

If Lian Ye were unaware of the Infinite Moon Reading plot, he might truly accept Madara's invitation.

But precisely because he knows, he won't join Madara's ranks.

Even if he activates the Kaleidoscope Sharingan, he won't be as lost as Uchiha Obito was by deception.

However, Senju Hashirama did remind him that Madara Uchiha has already begun scheming to lure him in.

To prevent Uchiha Obito's tragedy from repeating, he must shield those he cares about from danger.

If Madara truly acts, the chances of Qianshou Feijian, Zhi Cun Tuan Zang, and Zhuan Qin Xiaochun encountering danger would rise sharply.

And Yuanfei Rizhan, Uchiha Jing, and Shuihu Menyan would likewise be in peril!

Only the probability of being on Madara's radar is lower for them.

Qianshou Feijian's risk of danger is low; as long as he stays in the Village, he'll hardly face any.

After all, Madara Uchiha could never storm the Hokage Office, could he?

Even if that old kid couldn't defeat Madara, he wouldn't be easily killed.

And besides, isn't Senju Hashirama still by Madara's side?

To look after his close friend's feelings, Madara shouldn't strike at Feijian.

Now his only worries are Tuan Cang and Xiaochun, those two teammates.

Although he doesn't know whether their deaths can make him open his eyes, he certainly doesn't want to just watch them die.

"Looks like we'll have to take them along for future missions."

————

Someplace in Ninja World, deep forest, two people sat around the campfire.

"Hashirama, did you leak information to that kid?" Madara Uchiha lifted his head, the campfire casting alternating light and shadow on his face.

Senju Hashirama hugged his knees, lowered his head, and said nothing.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a deep voice: "Madara, your plan is too extreme."

Trapping everyone in Genjutsu, what's the difference from killing everyone?

Is such peace truly peace?

Although he cannot stop Madara's plan, he also cannot let Madara bring disaster upon Lian Ye!

So he left a note before departing...

Hashirama originally thought Madara didn't know about this, but he was still discovered by him.

Madara Uchiha stared at the down‑headed Hashirama, his face expressionless, showing only indifference.

"Hashirama, even you want to stop me from realizing my dream?"

"Madara, it's not like that..." Hashirama immediately lifted his head upon hearing it, explaining: "It's just that your plan is too extreme..."

If Madara could adopt a relatively peaceful approach, he might have realized his ideals together with Madara.

"Heh, extreme?" Madara sneered, "Hashirama, you are still as naive as ever."

The war had just ended a few years ago, and this guy has already forgotten everything.

Hashirama's method cannot achieve peace; only his plan can!

"Madara..." Hashirama, with a complicated expression, looked at his close friend.

If he could, he truly wants to stop Madara, but now he is powerless and can only watch helplessly as his close friend walks toward the abyss.

This feeling is beyond description in its pain.

"Don't look at me with that disgusting gaze," Madara Uchiha snorted, "You can't do anything now; don't dare interfere with my plan, or I won't keep you by my side any longer."

If it weren't for their past relationship, he would never have taken a dead weight along.

"I understand, Madara," Hashirama sighed helplessly.