Chapter 273: Recognizing Siblings, the Young Girl's Choice

"Sigh! Careless, too careless~"

After being enlightened by a clansman disguised as a master craftsman, Uchiha Gin could not help but beat his chest and stomp his feet, wailing in frustration so loudly that it could be heard clearly several streets away.

The saying goes: wealth is sought amidst danger!

In this era of raging war, the business of lending is a high-risk trade; there is no guarantee that a borrower won't be offed the moment they step out the door, or rely on their formidable strength to default on the debt. Due to these and other uncertain factors, the industry standards for this business are extremely stringent.

For standard loans, even with collateral, the interest is two hundred percent; if there is no collateral and it relies purely on the spirit of the contract for security, the interest only doubles further.

"If I had known to check the market rates, I would have missed a great opportunity to scam the white-haired guy~"

Compared to the small amount of money lost, what disappointed Uchiha Gin more was missing the great opportunity to scam Tobirama Senju. But since things had reached this point and the words were already out, he would just consider it adding bricks and tiles to the construction of Konoha.

Later on, he could pat the gates of Konoha and proudly tell others, "This was donated by me~"

A few days later, seeing that familiar-looking blonde craftsman leading a team of people, marching grandly toward the Senju clan grounds, Uchiha Gin knew that the contract between the two parties had been concluded.

Doesn't that mean he is now a creditor of Konoha?

"Big Brother, are we really going?"

Just as Uchiha Gin was wandering outside, a tall, black-haired figure was dragging a highly reluctant white-haired man toward Uchiha Gin's current residence.

"I still have a lot of official business to handle. How about you go by yourself, Big Brother?"

Tobirama Senju, with an expression that was twelve-tenths unwilling, looked at his enthusiastic older brother and asked with a frown.

"How can that be? Gin helped us solve a pressing emergency. Both for public and private reasons, we must pay a visit to thank him."

Dragging his younger brother with one hand and carrying a basket of mysterious yellow fruit in the other, Hashirama Senju smiled brilliantly and patiently explained to the highly resistant Tobirama Senju.

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

Thinking of the stinky face of that Land of Waves craftsman leader, and how he had to lower his posture during the negotiations, Tobirama Senju felt a belly full of fire when he recalled it.

"If it weren't for Gin acting as a bridge, how would we have had the chance to sign the construction contract at an interest rate that was practically a giveaway?"

Looking at his unreasonable younger brother, Hashirama Senju felt a bit angry. This Tobirama was good in every way, but he had this little temper—he was just too stubborn, not like the well-behaved Wama or the cute Itama who made him worry less.

"Sigh~ just this once, okay?"

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

"Uh... since you put it that way, Big Brother, I'll reluctantly go just this once."

Facing his older brother who had softened his stance, Tobirama Senju sighed slightly in his heart. It was just to thank an Uchiha; for the sake of the curly-haired one, he would go just this once.

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

Before long, following the route they had inquired about beforehand, the two arrived in front of a very imposing small wooden Western-style building. Looking at the gorgeous little building made of pure wood, the Senju brothers each had their own thoughts.

"Tsk, this curly-hair is indeed as wealthy as the legends say. I wonder if the source of his wealth is legitimate."

A certain white-haired man looked at the building, which was countless times more gorgeous than his own home, and grumbled sourly in his heart.

"Uh... is this house a product of Wood Release?"

Compared to his younger brother's grumbling, Hashirama Senju was completely dumbfounded. As the current first and only user of Wood Release, he could clearly perceive the overflowing Wood Release chakra from the small building before him.

But in his skill bar, the "Wood Release: House Building Jutsu" had not yet been unlocked.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

With a heart full of doubt, Hashirama Senju stepped forward first and knocked on the door, which was decorated with gorgeous patterns, until it made a loud banging sound.

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

Hearing the knocking at the door, Itama Senju, who was lying on the sofa in a daze, felt a flash of helplessness in her black pupils. Thinking it was Uchiha Gin, who had just left, returning, she rolled off the sofa, shook her head, and walked over. After opening the door, she didn't even look, and complained in an extremely impatient tone. Just as she finished speaking, she realized the other party hadn't talked back. In shock, she took a closer look and was immediately scared out of her wits.

"BANG!!!"

Quick-witted, Itama Senju slammed the door shut the moment the other party was stunned. She leaned against the back of the door, her delicate body trembling violently—whether from fear or excitement, her black eyes were shaking wildly, the veins on her fair hands pressed against the door were bulging, and her black and white hair was soaked with sweat.

Now, only she and Uchiha Hikari were left in the house, but that old woman had been noisy and restless at night and dead to the world during the day lately, so it was effectively just her alone.

"Big Brother, who is being so rude?"

Because his view had been blocked by Hashirama Senju's tall figure, Tobirama Senju, who hadn't seen the person who opened the door, walked up in confusion, patted his motionless older brother, and asked with an unhappy expression.

Hmph~ Uchiha people, how come they have no manners at all? Unlike our Senju clan, where the men are all humble gentlemen, and the women... never mind.

"Tobirama, pinch me."

Just as Tobirama Senju was grumbling in his heart, Hashirama Senju, who seemed to have been hit by a binding jutsu, spoke out of the blue.

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

Hearing this from his older brother, Tobirama Senju, who was momentarily confused, still obediently pinched the soft flesh on Hashirama Senju's waist. Then, looking at the other's flushed old face, he asked.

"Phew~ you really pinched me?"

Carefully touching the wound on his waist, which took a few breaths to recover, Hashirama Senju frowned, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion. He looked at the tightly closed door, rubbed his furrowed brows, and turned to his younger brother.

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

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

Tobirama Senju, who had always believed in science, heard such an unbelievable statement and immediately declared that it was all Uchiha Gin being mysterious; how could there be ghosts and monsters in the world?

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

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

Seeing that his younger brother didn't believe him, Hashirama Senju hurriedly explained. The surprise in his eyes didn't look fake, which made Tobirama Senju's heart sink. Could it be that ghosts really exist in the world?

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

"You must have seen wrong, right? Mother has been gone for so many years."

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

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

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

Facing his adamant older brother, Tobirama Senju had no choice but to helplessly let him describe the woman's appearance in the house to determine if Hashirama Senju was hallucinating.

"About twenty-something, she looked... 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!"

Hearing this, Hashirama Senju began to recall the woman he had caught a glimpse of. He first stated her age, then her appearance, which was deeply imprinted in his heart. When he finally mentioned her hair, he paused, thought carefully, and then described her strange hair color. As it turned out, this rare hair color triggered a switch in his heart, causing him to scream instantly.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

As the listener, Tobirama Senju was simulating a portrait of the woman Hashirama Senju described in his mind. The moment his older brother mentioned the hair color, a portrait he was extremely familiar with appeared in his mind, shocking him into letting out a three-part high-pitched scream.

"So noisy! Can you two shut up!"

Amidst the alternating screams of the two brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, Itama Senju suddenly pulled the door open with an unhappy expression. Looking at these two men who held high status in Konoha with fearless black eyes, she scolded them.

"Understood!" *2

"Come in, remember to change your shoes."

Just a moment ago, hiding behind the door, Itama Senju's heart was in a mess. So many years had passed, and even though the Senju clan led by her older brother had defeated the Uchiha clan, she still dared not appear before the Senju clan. There was cowardice at play, but more than that, it was a sense of reluctance.

She was very afraid that after she went back, she wouldn't be able to get along with Uchiha Gin like 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 cut the Gordian knot and clarify this matter.

"Are you..."

Looking at the imposing woman, Hashirama Senju, feeling a bit insecure because she looked so much like their mother, followed timidly behind her. After a long while, he asked cautiously, the thirst for knowledge in his eyes almost blowing the roof off.

"Impossible, you should have died long ago."

Compared to the somewhat fearful Hashirama Senju, the deeper-thinking Tobirama Senju frowned, staring fixedly at the tall woman before him. Looking at her familiar face and that rare hair color, he coldly questioned her.

That sacrificed Koji Senju had once sworn that his young sister had been surrounded and attacked by several adult Uchiha, and there was absolutely no possibility of survival.

"No, I didn't die."

Seeing that the two had confirmed her identity, Itama Senju no longer hid anything. She sat on the sofa, picked up the Q-version Three-Tails Isobu beside her, and with a dazed look of recollection in her eyes, slowly told the story of many years ago to her two older brothers.

"Back then, it was Uchiha Gin who bore the pressure and protected me, a young child, from a group of vicious Uchiha clansmen..."

Speaking of the past, Itama Senju recalled Uchiha Gin, who had carried her on his back and refused to let go regardless of the dangers. A strange smile quietly hung on her cold lips.

And this smile was captured by the always sharp Tobirama Senju, causing alarm bells to ring in his heart. He vaguely sensed that something big might happen to his family's only remaining cabbage.

"... nd so, I lived with him. But don't misunderstand, he didn't do anything improper to me. On the contrary, because of this strange name Father gave me, for a long time, he always thought I was a boy, hehe~"

(End of chapter)