Chapter 287

287. Chapter 285 Senju Hashirama: The Nine-Tails and I are evenly matched

"The child cannot be taught!"

After some earnest teaching, Wangliang still only called him "Curly hair," which made Uchiha Gin, who had been full of confidence, feel that life was meaningless.

"Sigh~ To think that I, Uchiha Gin, am peerless in strategy, yet the clone I created is such a moron."

Uchiha Gin, slumped to one side, looked at Wangliang, who was still gulping down drinks, and couldn't stop shaking his head and sighing.

"Another cup~"

Facing Uchiha Gin's face-to-face mockery, Kaguya wasn't annoyed; instead, she pushed the empty cup back.

As long as this descendant could provide her with a steady supply of secret sweet water, letting Uchiha Gin take some verbal advantage wasn't unacceptable.

"You want more?"

Uchiha Gin turned his head to look at the lemons contributed by his little cousin and found that the raw materials were exhausted; not a single drop could be squeezed out now. He then waved his hand to signal.

"There's no more, no more~"

Hearing this, Kaguya frowned. This descendant really didn't know what was good for him. Letting him offer tribute to her was already doing him a favor. In the past, those humans had to queue up and draw lots half a year in advance just to send her gifts.

"Another cup!"

Wangliang's tone this time was a bit more human than before. Uchiha Gin raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing it, and looking at her cold and beautiful face, he found that there was actually a hint of slight displeasure between her brows.

"The lemons are gone. Do you want to eat ice cream?"

Feeling that the behavior and mannerisms of the Wangliang before him were becoming more and more like a human's, Uchiha Gin, holding a spirit of inquiry, glanced at the ice cream machine behind the bar and asked.

Ice cream?

Kaguya frowned; she hadn't heard of such a thing.

"Try it. It's a cold drink I, Uchiha Gin, developed and made myself. It's guaranteed to be delicious~"

That's right, the ice cream sold at little Zhili's place came from Uchiha Gin's hands.

After the founding of Konoha, Uchiha Gin had asked for a shop with the best location from the clan and gave it to Lady Yongmei, letting her return to her old profession and open a cold drink shop.

But Uchiha Gin had really grown tired of eating shaved ice all the time, so he created the ice cream from his previous life. He hadn't expected the sales to be quite good; while widely acclaimed, it also attracted many foreign friends.

It is said that not long ago, a child from the Land of Wind, because of an addiction to ice cream, didn't even want to return to his country, clamoring to join Konoha. In the end, he was knocked unconscious and carried away by his master.

If it weren't for the unstable times, Uchiha Gin would really like to open a drink shop in Konoha. He had even thought of the name.

Let's call it Mixue Bingcheng~

While speaking, Uchiha Gin had already entered the bar and operated the ice cream machine, squeezing out a large sundae.

Kaguya tilted her head in confusion. The white food before her, which emitted a cold aura, carried a rich milky fragrance. She subconsciously swallowed her saliva, looked up at the warm-smiling Uchiha Gin, and still chose to take the large sundae.

"Eat quickly, or it will melt in a moment~"

Seeing Wangliang's cautious appearance, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but smile and urge her.

Hesitating for a moment, Kaguya extended a slender finger and tentatively touched the top of the sundae. The cold sensation made her shiver suddenly.

After withdrawing her finger, looking at the milky-white ice cream on her fingertip, Kaguya slowly held it in her mouth.

"Oishii!"

Kaguya sucked on her finger vigorously. The rich sweetness of the cream ice cream made her eyes light up. Such deliciousness, and she had only eaten it today; the thousands of years she had lived before were in vain.

She was seen grabbing the large sundae on the table and devouring it. Her rough way of eating splashed ice cream everywhere, and her little black-skinned face was also smeared with sticky, milky-white liquid.

"Eat slowly, no one is grabbing it from you."

She didn't even use a spoon and was biting into it directly. As expected of a puppet that had just gained wisdom, Uchiha Gin felt that his path of raising her was long and arduous.

But Kaguya couldn't take in Uchiha Gin's words; she kept her head down and inhaled it like a storm. The scene was simply too horrible to look at.

"Sigh~ Look up."

Uchiha Gin really couldn't watch anymore. He pulled out a tissue and said.

"?"

This time Kaguya listened. She raised her little head in confusion, wanting to see what Uchiha Gin was going to do.

The next moment, a large, warm hand reached over, wiping the ice cream off her face with very gentle movements. Kaguya, who had never received such treatment, froze on the spot, letting Uchiha Gin do as he pleased.

When Uchiha Gin's fingers inadvertently brushed across her lips, Kaguya's heart, which had been silent for thousands of years, began to accelerate for the first time. A blush spread uncontrollably across her face, and steam even faintly rose from the white hair on top of her head.

"Ding-a-ling~"

At this ambiguous moment, the door of the cold drink shop was suddenly pushed open. At the same time, the sound of the bell on the curtain also woke up the frozen Kaguya.

"It's little Zhili, go back quickly!"

Just by listening to the footsteps, Uchiha Gin knew who it was, so he hurriedly stood up to block Kaguya, urging her in a low voice.

The fact that Uchiha Gin had opened his Mangekyo had not yet been revealed to anyone. If others discovered Wangliang's existence, he wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he had a hundred mouths.

"Huh? Mr. Gin, why are you..."

The person who came was none other than Uchiha Zhili. The young girl was seen carrying two large bags of yellow fruits that Uchiha Gin found very familiar, looking at him with a face full of surprise.

However, the young girl, who had been careful since childhood, saw the panicked look on Uchiha Gin's face and her eyes immediately became sharp, quickly scanning the surroundings, trying to find something.

Uchiha Gin took the opportunity to glance behind him and found that the seat where Wangliang had just been sitting was already empty. Before leaving, she had even swiped the unfinished sundae ice cream.

"Hoo~"

Uchiha Gin, feeling relieved, saw the nervous expression on his face slowly fade, but the purple-haired girl before him had her brows knit tighter and tighter.

"Little Zhili, long time no..."

Uchiha Gin took a step forward, preparing to greet his disciple.

"Mr. Gin, please stop!"

Unexpectedly, the usually docile Uchiha Zhili actually stopped her teacher in an uncharacteristic manner, a look of what could be called disgust on her beautiful face, which left Uchiha Gin, who was about to step forward, somewhat confused.

"Did something happen?"

"Mr. Gin, if you really can't help it, please go to the restroom to do such things."

"???"

Hearing this, Uchiha Gin froze on the spot. In his confusion, he followed the girl's disgusted gaze and slowly lowered his head, looking at the tissue he was holding in his hand, which was covered in milky-white, unidentified liquid that was slowly dripping down.

"I didn't! This isn't it! Listen to me explain!"

Realm of Shadows

Kaguya sat on her exclusive large bed, holding the sundae she had swiped from the real world, tasting it in small bites. Recalling the sensation on her lips, her dark little face couldn't control its heat, and her white eyes were filled with thoughts of unclear meaning.

"That descendant, his name is Uchiha Gin, right..."

In the Hokage office, because he was missing a helper, Senju Hashirama, who had returned to his main duties, was working overtime. When he read a report about the slow progress of a certain project, his sword-like brows slowly stood up. He looked up at Senju Tobirama, who was organizing documents to the side, and spoke slowly.

"Tobirama, when will that money arrive?"

Konoha was currently in need of money. Although Senju Tobirama had taken back a portion of the dividends earlier, it had basically all been used to pay Uchiha Gin's remuneration. The account was still in a state of maximum deficit.

"Big Brother, don't be anxious. The shipping company in the Land of Waves has just started; the profits won't arrive for a while. Wait a bit longer, wait a bit longer~"

Senju Tobirama, who was asked, stiffened, then remembered the tea and letters sent by that official from the Land of Waves, and immediately set his heart at ease.

"But money is needed everywhere now!"

If it were someone else embezzling public funds, Senju Hashirama would have already used a Wood Human to give them a massage; how could he be negotiating so kindly?

"Gulp~"

Regarding the issue of Konoha's finances, Senju Tobirama actually knew better than anyone, but he firmly believed in the principle of money begetting money. As long as the shipping company in the Land of Waves took off, he would definitely make a fortune every day, and then he would be able to stand tall in front of that curly-haired guy.

"Creak~"

"Ding, ding, ding"

Just as the Senju brothers were plotting to sell off their family property, the door to the office was pushed open from the outside. Immediately after, a burst of harsh footsteps entered their ears, causing them to frown immediately.

Who was so impolite, treating this Hokage office as their own?

And so, the two brothers, feeling displeased, cast their gazes on the intruder, preparing to teach this rude person a lesson.

"You are..."

But because the intruder's outfit was too outrageous, it forced Senju Tobirama to swallow the words that were about to come out.

He saw someone enter wearing a pair of exaggerated sunglasses, a black tight-fitting T-shirt on his upper body with a huge Sharingan pattern embroidered on the chest, white skinny pants on his lower body, golden pointed Chelsea boots on his feet, and a glaring small green leather bag tucked under his arm. He was standing in front of the door, shaking his head and posing.

"Oioioi, isn't this Hashirama? How come you've become so pathetic after not seeing you for a few days?"

Listening to the voice, this person with a unique style was actually Senju Hashirama's close friend, Uchiha Madara, whom he hadn't seen for a few days. He walked to the desk with a gait that didn't recognize his own kin, pushed up the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, and said in a very arrogant tone.

"."

"Madara, this outfit of yours?"

Having finally recovered from the shock, Senju Hashirama was filled with disbelief. Clearly, the previous Madara had dressed appropriately and behaved generously, looking very much like a young lady from a scholarly family.

He hadn't expected him to transform into a rebellious, trendy girl.

This was truly... surprising!

Contrast, the main point is the contrast~

"How is it? This is the trendiest outfit recently. Your robes and gowns are long out of date. If you go out, others will think you're an old antique~"

Uchiha Madara, who had completed his style transformation, pointed at the plain-colored robe on Senju Hashirama and mocked him in a very disdainful tone.

Since when, Konoha had suddenly become popular with this trend, initiated by a certain unknown, cheerful Mr. Sasuke.

Then it spread like a plague. For a time, this style of outfit swept the streets and alleys. As long as they were ninjas with some strength, they would spend a lot of money to have a set of exclusive outfits custom-made by some unknown designer.

"Come to think of it, I have indeed seen many people dressed like this recently."

Senju Hashirama, who was mocked, wasn't angry; instead, he showed a teasing smile and looked at Uchiha Madara's tight buttocks with great interest.

What a handsome outfit, I want one too!

"Hmph! This kind of unhealthy trend should be banned. Big Brother, hurry up and order a ban on this kind of outfit!"

Seeing his big brother so infatuated, Senju Tobirama was so angry his lungs were about to explode, and he said with a gloomy face.

"Huh? Since when has Konoha become so feudal that even freedom of dress can't be realized? If someone like that were to become Hokage, I'm afraid even the color of our underwear would have to be uniform."

Uchiha Madara glanced at the furious Senju Tobirama, his disdain overflowing, followed by a burst of sarcasm.

"Alright, alright, why do you two bicker as soon as you meet? We're all family~"

It was a familiar scene. Senju Hashirama helplessly stood up to mediate, as if this had already become his daily routine.

"Hmph!"

The two bickering people turned their heads away at the same time, ignoring each other.

Seeing that the two had calmed down, Senju Hashirama breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in his original position.

"Madara, why not rest for a few more days?"

It had only been a few days since Uchiha Gin forcibly carried Uchiha Madara away. He hadn't expected him to recover his spirit so quickly and come to work.

"Everything in the clan has been handed over to that kid Izuna. I'm idle anyway, so I might as well come back to work."

Skillfully changing the position of his green bag, Uchiha Madara answered in a casual tone.

"Good, good, good. I was just worrying that I couldn't finish the work on hand, and you came~"

For free labor, Senju Hashirama welcomed him with all five limbs. Not only was he capable, but he was also pleasing to the eye. He could just go and be happy!

"I knew Konoha would fall apart without me."

Uchiha Madara nodded in agreement, then sat in his previous office position. At this moment, it was already piled high with documents waiting to be reviewed, so he quickly entered the state and processed them rapidly.

Senju Tobirama, sitting opposite him, saw this scene and also chose to shut up, silently sitting down to continue working.

Although Senju Tobirama hated this guy Uchiha Madara, he had to admit that he was a rare talent, with abundant martial strength and decent strategy; it was just that his emotions were not very stable.

"Is Konoha short of money again recently?"

Looking at the monthly financial report in his hand, Uchiha Madara's brows under his sunglasses knit together. He had long known that kid Senju Tobirama was unreliable; the embezzled public funds were still missing.

"It's nothing, a small difficulty. We've already thought of a solution~"

Seeing Uchiha Madara mention this, Senju Hashirama, who was concerned about his younger brother, answered first.

"The Land of Water attacking the Land of Whirlpools? What's going on? Didn't they say there was a ceasefire?"

Skipping over this matter, Uchiha Madara flipped to another piece of intelligence from abroad. Seeing the word "war," his brows, which had just relaxed, knit together again. Clearly, they had just signed a peace agreement, so how could they turn around and take a knife to their neighbor?

"I know about this, but the Land of Water didn't gain any advantage. The Tailed Beast they just bought was almost snatched away by the Land of Whirlpools."

Senju Tobirama opposite him raised his head, his scarlet eyes filled with thought, and then explained.

"Regardless of whether they gained an advantage or not, why can the Land of Water start a war at will?"

Not asking about the result, Uchiha Madara only wanted to know the motive for starting the war.

"Sigh~ Madara, there's no help for it. The peace agreement we signed at the time only included the Five Great Nations, and the prohibition only applied to wars between the Five Great Nations. As for those small countries, they were not included."

It turned out that the Land of Water had exploited a loophole in the agreement. In order to avenge their previous grudge, they took the newly acquired Tailed Beast and went to the Land of Whirlpools, wanting to regain the ground they had lost. They hadn't expected the ninjas of the Land of Whirlpools not to be pushovers.

The Three-Tails, which had been thrown into the territorial waters of the Land of Whirlpools by the Land of Water, had just opened its eyes when it saw chains filling the sky coming toward it. It hadn't even had time to speak before it was disarmed on the spot.

If it hadn't been for Bai Lian, who brought the recovered Hozuki Gengetsu and Gui, relying on a mirage illusion to trap the ninjas of the Uzumaki clan, and then risking his life to snatch back the frozen Three-Tails, their Land of Water would have really lost both their wife and their soldiers.

"Asking for trouble. Who doesn't know that those red-haired people in the Land of Whirlpools have first-class sealing techniques? Dealing with Tailed Beasts is like taking something out of their pockets."

Shaking his head disdainfully, Uchiha Madara, who knew the ins and outs of the matter, had not a shred of sympathy for the miserable encounter of the Land of Water.

"Indeed, they deserved it. I heard that old guy Bai Lian was seriously injured; I'm afraid he's about to abdicate."

Senju Tobirama rarely had the same view as Uchiha Madara.

"Fortunately, it was the Land of Whirlpools. If it were other small countries, they might have already fallen."

Even though there had been less contact over the years, the blood ties still existed. If the Land of Whirlpools really suffered a disaster, he, Senju Hashirama, would definitely be the first to offer assistance.

"Tailed Beasts are indeed a thorny existence."

Through this incident, Senju Tobirama saw further than the other two. Tailed Beasts, as nuclear weapons, are a deterrent in peacetime and a trump card in wartime.

Although his big brother and Uchiha Madara could easily handle Tailed Beasts, after many years, when Konoha underwent a generational change and there were no more powerhouses like them to hold the fort, wouldn't Konoha, without Tailed Beasts in hand, become something to be slaughtered at will in the eyes of other countries?

"Tobirama, do you have anything to say?"

Seeing his brother's deep expression, Senju Hashirama, who knew his habits, asked.

"Big Brother, I believe Konoha also needs Tailed Beasts."

Senju Tobirama, who was asked, raised his head and answered with a serious face.

"Hmph~ What's the use of those things that kick the bucket with one glare?"

As Uchiha Madara, who had captured Tailed Beasts with his own hands, he scoffed at Senju Tobirama's words. Even with more Tailed Beasts, they couldn't compare to his pair of Eternal Mangekyo.

"Do you think everyone can be like you?"

Senju Tobirama rubbed his temples with a headache. On such an issue concerning the survival of Konoha, he didn't want to have any unnecessary arguments with Uchiha Madara.

"Uh, it's not that there aren't any."

Uchiha Madara had originally wanted to say there weren't, but recalling the woman beside his big cousin, he scratched his face in embarrassment, his tone no longer as arrogant as before.

"."

"My meaning is, after many years, when we are no longer in this world, can you guarantee that Konoha will still have people with the same strength as you?"

"I can guarantee it."

He hadn't expected Uchiha Madara to answer so briskly this time, which caught Senju Tobirama off guard.

"Don't be blindly confident. Things are unpredictable..."

"Big Cousin can live for a long time, and Uchiha Hikari beside him will definitely be long-lived too."

Uchiha Madara shook his head and mentioned Uchiha Gin's name.

"That curly-haired guy... you mean, the Yin Seal?"

Reminded by Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama woke up as if from a dream. That's right, that Uchiha Hikari, whose strength was unknown, had learned Uchiha Gin's Yin Seal technique, and her lifespan had been greatly extended. As long as she didn't act frequently, she could ensure Konoha's long-term peace and stability.

Tailed Beast attacking, hurry and invite Ancestor Hikari!

However, as soon as Senju Tobirama thought that the other party was from the Uchiha clan, his brows knit together.

If it were really as he thought, then Konoha in the future would have to act according to the Uchiha clan's wishes, which was a result he didn't want to see.

No, he couldn't just rely on the Uchiha clan. Konoha needed its own nuclear weapons.

"I think it's better to have Tailed Beasts as a deterrent. This can avoid many unnecessary troubles."

Senju Tobirama shook his head, still insisting on his point of view.

"It doesn't matter, they're all just clay chickens and pottery dogs anyway."

Uchiha Madara, who didn't care about this matter, just mocked coldly and didn't refuse.

"Tobirama, your idea is good, but the Tailed Beasts have all been sold. Where can we find extra ones?"

Senju Hashirama, who was listening on the side, scratched his head and interjected. When they sold the Tailed Beasts before, Konoha didn't keep a single one~

"Big Brother, isn't there still one left?"

Senju Tobirama's mouth curled up, smiling very strangely.

"There's still... you mean..."

"That's right, it's the Nine-Tails!"

"Ah? But I made a promise to it!"

That's right, after the previous Tailed Beast Pokemon tournament, Senju Hashirama promised to set the Nine-Tails free and guaranteed that he would never capture it again.

However, the despicable white-haired guy actually disregarded the agreement between Senju Hashirama and the Nine-Tails and wanted to capture the lonely and helpless Kurama back again.

"Hmph! Why talk about morality with a beast? Just capture it back!"

"No, no, I swore in the name of the Sage of Six Paths before. If I capture it back, I will die without a burial place and never be reincarnated."

Senju Hashirama showed a rare look of difficulty. Regarding his brother's request, he expressed his powerlessness.

"Tsk"

Knowing that his big brother was a person who valued promises, Senju Tobirama had to give up on letting Senju Hashirama capture the Nine-Tails.

While thinking, he suddenly saw Uchiha Madara writing furiously at his workstation. A sharp glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, and a smile called "conspiracy" quietly hung on the corner of his mouth.

"Konoha cannot be without Tailed Beasts, just as the Land of Fire cannot be without Konoha."

Suddenly, Senju Tobirama said something inexplicable. Uchiha Madara, who was processing documents, looked up in confusion, wanting to see what tricks this white-haired guy was playing again.

"Uchiha Madara, do you know about the Nine-Tails?"

During the previous Tailed Beast war, the Tailed Beast Uchiha Madara manipulated was defeated by the Nine-Tails, causing him to miss out on the position of Hokage. Now that Senju Tobirama was bringing up old matters, he must have his purpose.

"The Nine-Tails, that's the one Hashirama finally won against."

Uchiha Madara, of course, remembered that hateful big fox. If it weren't for it, he would have already been riding on Senju Hashirama's head and acting as a tyrant, so how could he still be working overtime for free day and night like a corporate slave here?

"Big Brother, how is the strength of that Nine-Tails?"

Not knowing why Senju Tobirama asked this, Senju Hashirama was just about to answer that he could handle it easily, but suddenly remembered what he said to Uchiha Madara after winning the Tailed Beast war, so his eyes drifted and he spoke nonsense.

"Uh... very strong. Look at these two hands of mine; it took both of them to be evenly matched with it."(End of chapter)