Chapter 221: Brother and Sister Reunited, the Girl's Choice

"Sigh! I was careless, truly careless~"

After being enlightened by the clan member disguised as the master craftsman, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but beat his chest and stomp his feet in regret, his wails echoing through the streets.

Wealth is sought through danger!

In this era of war, the lending business was an extremely high-risk venture. There was no guarantee that the borrower wouldn't be killed the moment they stepped out the door, or that they wouldn't rely on their own brute strength to default on the debt. Due to these uncertainties, the industry standards for this business were extremely strict.

A standard loan, even with collateral, carried an interest rate of two hundred percent. If there was no collateral and it relied solely on the integrity of the contract, the interest would double again.

"If I had only known the market rates, I wouldn't have missed such a great opportunity to fleece that white-haired brat~"

Compared to the loss of small change, what disappointed Uchiha Gin even more was missing the chance to scam Senju Tobirama. But since things had reached this point and the words were already out, he would just consider it his contribution to the construction of Konoha.

In the future, he could stand before the gates of Konoha and proudly tell others, "This was donated by me~"

A few days later, when he saw the familiar-looking blonde craftsman leading a team of men, marching imposingly toward the Senju clan grounds, Uchiha Gin knew that the contract between the two parties had been signed.

Did this mean he was now a creditor of Konoha?

"Big Brother, are we really going?"

While Uchiha Gin was wandering outside, a tall, black-haired figure was dragging an extremely reluctant white-haired man toward Uchiha Gin's current residence.

"I still have a lot of official business to handle. Why don't you go alone, Big Brother?"

Senju Tobirama, looking thoroughly displeased, frowned at his enthusiastic older brother.

"How can that be? Gin-dage helped us solve a pressing emergency. Both for public and private reasons, we must pay a visit to express our gratitude."

Holding a basket of mysterious yellow fruits in one hand and dragging his brother with the other, Senju Hashirama smiled brightly, patiently explaining to the resistant Senju Tobirama.

"But I was the one who negotiated the deal!"

Recalling the sour face of that master craftsman from the Land of Waves and how he had to lower his posture during the negotiations, Senju Tobirama felt a belly full of fire just thinking about it.

"If Gin-dage hadn't acted as the intermediary, how would we have had the chance to sign the construction contract with such a near-giveaway interest rate?"

Seeing his ignorant younger brother, Senju Hashirama felt a bit angry. This Tobirama was good at everything, but he was just too stubborn—unlike the obedient Wakama and the adorable Itama, who were so much easier to worry about.

"Sigh~ Just this once, okay?"

Recalling his two younger siblings who had died in the war, Senju Hashirama suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. His tone toward Senju Tobirama softened; he only had this one younger brother left now, so if he didn't indulge him, who would?

"Sigh~ Since you've said so, Big Brother, I'll go just this once."

Faced with his older brother's softening, Senju Tobirama sighed inwardly. It was just paying a visit to an Uchiha to express thanks; for the sake of his brother, he would go.

"Haha, I knew it, Tobirama, you're the most obedient~"

Before long, following the route they had inquired about, the two Senju brothers arrived in front of an extremely imposing wooden villa. Looking at the magnificent building crafted entirely from wood, the two brothers each harbored their own thoughts.

"Tsk, this curly-haired brat is indeed as wealthy as the rumors say. I wonder if his money was obtained through legitimate means."

The white-haired brat looked at the villa, which was far more luxurious than his own home, and grumbled sourly in his heart.

"Eh? Is this house a product of Wood Release?"

Compared to his brother's grumbling, Senju Hashirama was completely dumbfounded. As the current first and only user of Wood Release, he could clearly sense the Wood Release chakra emanating from the villa.

However, he hadn't yet unlocked the "Wood Release: House Building Technique" in his skill set.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

With a puzzled heart, Senju Hashirama stepped forward first and knocked heavily on the door, which was decorated with ornate patterns.

"Hey! You curly-haired baboon, did you forget your... ah?"

Hearing the knocking, Senju Itama, who had been lying on the sofa in a daze, felt a flash of helplessness in her black pupils. Thinking it was Uchiha Gin returning shortly after leaving, she rolled off the sofa, shook her head, and walked over. She opened the door without even looking, ready to complain in an extremely impatient tone. But as she spoke, she realized the person on the other side didn't retort. Startled, she looked up, and was scared out of her wits.

"Bang!!!"

Senju Itama, quick-witted, slammed the door shut the moment the other party was stunned. She leaned against the door, her delicate body trembling violently—whether from fear or excitement, she didn't know. Her black eyes were shaking, and her fair hands, pressed against the door, had veins bulging. Her black-and-white hair was drenched in sweat.

There was only her and Uchiha Hikari in the house. However, that old woman had been acting strangely lately, noisy and restless at night, and sleeping like the dead during the day, so it was effectively just her alone.

"Big Brother, who was that? So rude."

Because Senju Hashirama's tall figure had blocked his view, Senju Tobirama, who hadn't seen who opened the door, walked up, patted his brother, and asked with displeasure.

Hmph~ Uchiha people, they have no manners at all. Unlike the Senju clan, where the men are all modest gentlemen, and the women... well, the less said, the better.

"Tobirama, pinch me."

Just as Senju Tobirama was grumbling in his heart, Senju Hashirama, who seemed to have been frozen in place, spoke up coldly.

"Huh? Since when do you have this hobby?"

Hearing his brother's request, Senju Tobirama, though confused, obediently pinched the soft flesh on Senju Hashirama's waist. He then looked at his brother's flushed face and asked.

"Sigh~ You really pinched me?"

Carefully touching the wound on his waist, waiting a few breaths for it to recover, Senju Hashirama frowned, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion. He looked at the closed door, rubbed his furrowed brow, and turned to his brother.

"I might be too tired lately; I actually saw a dead soul."

"Huh? How is that possible? It must be Uchiha Gin playing tricks!"

Senju Tobirama, who always believed in science, heard such an absurd statement and immediately declared that it must be Uchiha Gin playing tricks. How could ghosts and spirits exist in the world?

Death God: You brat, I've got my eye on you!

"It's true! I saw a woman who looked just like Mother, she..."

Seeing his brother didn't believe him, Senju Hashirama explained hurriedly, his shock not feigned. This made Senju Tobirama's heart sink. Could ghosts really exist?

Death God: Fine, fine, I'll spit her back out from my stomach!

"You must have seen wrong, right? Mother passed away so many years ago."

In the end, Senju Tobirama chose to believe in science and shook his head, interrupting his brother's nonsense.

"I didn't see wrong, it was definitely Mother!"

"Then tell me, how old was the woman, what did she look like, what color was her hair..."

Faced with his brother's insistence, Senju Tobirama had no choice but to let him describe the woman in the house to determine if Senju Hashirama was hallucinating.

"About twenty-something, as for her looks, she was carved from the same mold as Mother. She had a strange mark on her forehead, short hair, half black and half white... ah, ah, ah!"

Senju Hashirama began to recall the woman he had caught a glimpse of. He first mentioned her age, then her appearance, which was deeply etched in his heart. Finally, when he reached her hair, he paused, thought carefully, and described her strange hair color. This rare color triggered a switch in his heart, causing him to scream.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

As the listener, Senju Tobirama was mentally simulating a portrait based on his brother's description. The moment his brother mentioned the hair color, a portrait he knew all too well appeared in his mind, shocking him into a high-pitched scream.

"So noisy! Can you two shut up!"

Amidst the alternating screams of the two Senju brothers, Senju Itama pulled the door open, looking displeased. She stared at the two men, who held the highest status in Konoha, with black eyes that showed no fear, and scolded them.

"Understood!" *2

"Come in, and remember to change your shoes."

Just moments ago, hiding behind the door, Senju Itama's heart had been a tangled mess. So many years had passed; even though the Senju clan led by her brother had defeated the Uchiha, she had always been too afraid to appear before the Senju clan. Part of it was cowardice, but more of it was a sense of reluctance.

She was terrified that if she went back, she wouldn't be able to get along with Uchiha Gin as she had before.

She didn't want to gamble, and she dared not gamble.

However, now that the two clans were building a village together, her identity would be exposed sooner or later. Since that was the case, it was better to make a clean break and explain everything clearly.

"Are you..."

Looking at the imposing woman, and feeling a bit weak because she looked so much like their mother, Senju Hashirama followed behind her, treading carefully, and asked after a long while, his desire for the truth threatening to blow the roof off.

"Impossible, you should have died long ago."

Compared to the somewhat fearful Senju Hashirama, the more calculating Senju Tobirama frowned, staring fixedly at the tall woman before him, looking at her familiar face and that rare hair color, and asked coldly.

The late Senju Koji had sworn that his young sister had been surrounded by several adult Uchiha and had absolutely no chance of survival.

"No, I didn't die."

Seeing that the two had confirmed her identity, Senju Itama stopped hiding. She sat on the sofa, casually hugging the Q-version Three-Tails Isobu beside her, her distant eyes filled with memories as she recounted the past to her two brothers.

"Back then, it was Uchiha Gin who withstood the pressure and protected me from a group of vicious Uchiha clan members..."

Speaking of those years, Senju Itama recalled Uchiha Gin carrying her on his back, refusing to let go regardless of the dangers. A trace of an inexplicable smile appeared on her cold lips.

This smile was captured by the sharp-eyed Senju Tobirama, causing his alarm bells to ring instantly. He realized that their clan's only remaining little cabbage was about to be in big trouble.

"... That's how it was. I lived with him, but don't misunderstand; he didn't do anything improper to me. On the contrary, because of the strange name Father gave me, for a long time, he always thought I was a boy, hehe~"

(End of Chapter)