Chapter 297: Madam, Why Didn't You Say So Earlier

That day.

The Nine-Tails finally recalled

the fear of once being dominated by the Wood Man.

And that humiliation of being imprisoned within a wooden cage.

"Jana!!!"

The crimson beast opened its mouth, filled with sharp teeth; a dark orb of light transmitted an aura of destruction, and the place it targeted was left in ruins.

"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"

The long-haired man with a calm expression clapped his hands together, and several ferocious wooden dragons rose from the earth beneath his feet, carrying immense power as they coiled toward the now-crazed beast.

"Bang!"

The Nine-Tails, busy preparing its 2: feast, could not dodge in time and could only watch as the familiar wooden dragon nimbly coiled around its body. With no other choice, it fired the not-yet-fully-charged Tailed Beast Bomb at the dragon's head, which was opening its maw to bite.

The killing blow, containing tyrannical destructive power, instantly annihilated the wooden dragon's head, and the Tailed Beast Bomb, still not dissipated, struck toward the frowning Hashirama Senju with unstoppable momentum.

"Can't let my big beetle get hurt, otherwise I won't be able to brag to Madara~"

Hashirama Senju glanced at the Wood Man standing behind him; that handsome beetle was still being carried on its back.

He then refined chakra again, and a Wood Man of the same specifications rose from the ground. Its mountain-like hand reached straight out to grab the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Boom!"

With a heaven-shaking explosion, the sky was filled with dust and smoke, carrying a faint charred smell. The towering Wood Man did not budge under the heavy impact, and that Tailed Beast Bomb, carrying terrifying power, was actually annihilated by the Wood Man's bare hand.

"I didn't expect a Tailed Beast to come knocking on my door. Is it a coincidence?"

Jumping onto the head of the Wood Man, Hashirama Senju looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox emitting a manic aura before him, his gaze sinking in thought.

According to intelligence, this Nine-Tailed Fox should have been roaming the northeastern part of the Land of Fire for a long time. How could it cross the entire Land of Fire to cause trouble in the Land of Waterfalls? It was truly inconceivable.

"That guy Chomei..."

Seeing its signature skill easily neutralized by Hashirama Senju, the Nine-Tails, having calmed down a bit, couldn't help but start cursing the unconscious Chomei over there in its heart.

That stupid bug, why didn't he say that the humans here were descendants of Asura? Just this Wood Style alone already faintly possessed some of Asura's caliber.

Consequently, the Nine-Tails began to have thoughts of retreating. Its huge beastly pupils held a hint of human-like contemplation.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood. Those idiots who were caught would revive anyway, so why should it care so much? At worst, it would just stop bragging in the chat room; that would save it from being criticized by that stinky raccoon.

No sooner said than done. The Nine-Tails, having decided to retreat, glanced nonchalantly behind itself to see if there were any obstacles, then once again feigned a crazed appearance, hot steam rising from its huge mouth, acting as if it were going to fight Hashirama Senju to the death.

"Are you going to fight to the death?"

Seeing the Nine-Tailed Fox's "do or die" posture, Hashirama Senju quickly withdrew his wandering thoughts, staring at the opponent with eyes like torches, his hands gently clasped, waiting for the opponent's unrevealed trump card.

"Roar!!!"

The Nine-Tails raised its ferocious beast head and exhaled a foul-smelling breath at the battle-ready Hashirama Senju, so pungent it made one unable to open their eyes. At the same time, a manic aura brewed in its blood-red maw.

"Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu."

Thinking the opponent's killing blow was imminent and worried that the beetle behind him would be affected, Hashirama Senju held his breath and used the Wood Golem Jutsu. Countless wooden branches instantly grew from the ground, weaving into a huge mask resembling a ghost, blocking in front of him in an attempt to withstand the Nine-Tails' killing blow.

"Uh... why is there no movement?"

Under the mask, Hashirama Senju waited for a long time and scratched his head in confusion. Judging by the Nine-Tails' posture just now, the killing blow must have been immensely powerful; why was it all thunder and no rain?

Saying this, he quietly poked his head out from behind the mask, wanting to take a look.

"Huh? It ran?"

He didn't know until he looked, and he was shocked when he did. The Nine-Tails, which had been majestic and looking for a fight to the death just a moment ago, now had only its nine tails swaying wantonly on the distant horizon. Looking at that practiced running posture, it was definitely a repeat offender.

"Hmph~ If the old man chose me to be the boss, how could I not have a brain? Could I manage so many tails without one?"

The shameless Nine-Tails ran joyfully across the vast plains, a human-like look of triumph appearing on its huge beastly face. Recalling that silly, dull human, it couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Haha, that guy's brain is as stupid as Asura's. So what if he can fight? You need a brain to survive out here~"

"I didn't hear you clearly, say that again."

Suddenly, a strange voice cut in. The Nine-Tails, still running, hadn't turned its brain around yet, so it replied casually upon hearing it.

"I said that human is like Asura... Nani, why are you running so fast!"

The speeding Nine-Tails looked in surprise at the Wood Man sprinting beside it. Even while carrying the unconscious Chomei, the opponent was still moving as fast as flying.

Its two short legs were churning rapidly, sticking closely to its side, and the human it had just mocked was standing on top of the Wood Man, looking at it with a resentful face.

"Stand still!"

Just as the Nine-Tails was astonished, Hashirama Senju clapped his hands, and countless wooden branches grew from the Wood Man, turning into huge wooden hands that reached out to grab the Nine-Tails.

"Wood Style: Bringer of Darkness Jutsu!"

Caught off guard, the Nine-Tails was directly hugged by this move. It opened its mouth, intending to resist, but found that no matter what, it couldn't exert any strength. It could only watch helplessly as a large hand with the character "Sit" written on it pressed down on its head.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence."

The next moment, the Nine-Tails felt its vision go black, and its consciousness seemed to fly back to its childhood, when it was innocent and a good fox who liked making friends.

"Hoo~ hoo~ hoo~"

"Yay, Nine-Tails successfully captured~"

Looking at the Nine-Tails lying on the ground, blowing snot bubbles, Hashirama Senju's expression relaxed, and he revealed a row of white teeth, smiling very brightly.

Counting the Nine-Tails, he now had three Tailed Beasts in hand; the scales of victory had already tipped in his favor.

The grinning Hashirama Senju manipulated the Wood Man to carry the Nine-Tails, heading toward Konoha in high spirits.

Sorry about that, Madara, I won again this time~

Not long after Hashirama Senju left carrying the Nine-Tails, a battered group of people arrived at the battlefield. Looking at the unrecognizable terrain, the gloomy man leading them had eyes full of horror.

"Lord Leader, should we pursue?"

The gloomy man was the ninja leader of the Land of Waterfalls. At this moment, he was covered in dust, and blood was faintly seeping from his body. After hearing his subordinate's words, a flash of hesitation crossed his eyes, then he shook his head and ordered:

"Retreat, go back and settle the wounded first."

"Yes."

At this moment, the ninja encampment of the Land of Waterfalls had turned into a pile of ruins; all that could be seen were flames that had not yet been extinguished, and all that could be heard were the painful wails of the wounded.

Not long ago, the ninja leader of the Land of Waterfalls had witnessed Hashirama Senju leaving with Chomei in the forbidden area, and immediately returned to the encampment with his confidants, preparing to gather men to take back the roots of their Land of Waterfalls.

However, before they returned to the encampment, they heard explosions coming from afar, so they immediately accelerated, wanting to see what was happening.

"Who is it, daring to attack us!"

The leader's face was gloomy. Although the Land of Waterfalls was slightly inferior in strength to the other five great nations, they were not soft persimmons that could be bullied by anyone.

"Lord Leader, you've finally returned! It's the Disaster Beast, the Disaster Beast has come!"

When they arrived at the encampment, a terrified ninja rushed up to meet them, telling them the culprit with a trembling voice, his eyes filled with fear.

"Nani!"

Hearing this, the leader was terrified. He had heard a little about the name of the Disaster Beast, but how could that erratic disaster come to this godforsaken place of theirs?

"Follow me, I want to see what this Disaster Beast is actually..."

Although his heart was pounding, the ninja leader of the Land of Waterfalls knew he could not retreat, so he braced himself and called out to the subordinates who still had combat power, intending to have a showdown with the Disaster Beast.

"Jana~"

However, before he could even see the appearance of the Disaster Beast, he was hit in the face by a dark gray Tailed Beast Bomb. Fortunately, he had drunk quite a bit of Hero Water before, and in an instant, violent chakra surged through the meridians in his body.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall,"

The leader's face sank, and he clapped his hands on the ground; a stone wall suddenly protruded. The thick Earth Wall gave him a sense of security.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a beast with a larger size and some chakra, completely not enough to..."

"Boom!!!"

Just as he was waving his hand to mobilize them, that stone wall, which looked full of security, did not stop the pace of the Tailed Beast Bomb. It was melted by the high temperature the moment it made contact, and everyone was directly exposed to the aftermath of the Tailed Beast Bomb, the scorching heat rushing toward them.

"No!!!"

"Hiccup~ Is Chomei gone already?"

The Nine-Tails, not caring about the lives of humans, tossed a few small Tailed Beast Bombs at the ninja encampment of the Land of Waterfalls, sniffed the scent of Chomei moving away, shook its huge beast head, and without even looking at the ninjas present, chased in the direction Hashirama Senju had left.

Afterward, the one man and one beast that met on a narrow path had the battle that started this chapter.

Konoha.

"Ha~ Has the big cousin not returned yet?"

On the bustling street, a curly-haired man with a handsome face but dull eyes let out a huge yawn, then used his annoying dead-fish eyes to look around at the lively crowd, while complaining about Madara Uchiha, who had been away from home for several days without a word.

"Sure enough, older people know how to cherish others~"

Having just escaped from the gentle embrace of Ayumi Uchiha, Gin Uchiha felt refreshed. This experience, completely different from that of an innocent young girl, made him crave more. The fragrance remaining on the corners of his mouth made him unable to stop his imagination from running wild.

He only hated that a week only had seven days; how could he manage it all~

"Hey~ Curly-haired baboon, why are you here?"

Just as Gin Uchiha was savoring the lingering fragrance on his lips, a crisp voice interrupted his reverie.

Hearing the familiar tone, he subconsciously rolled his eyes, then lazily turned his head to look at the suspicious-looking Itama Senju and the thoughtful-looking Chiri Uchiha beside her. He curled his lips and replied:

"Is this street opened by your family? Why can't I come here?"

Although that was what he said, the bustling commercial street where Gin Uchiha was currently located happened to be the work of craftsmen from the Land of Waves. According to property rights, this street was his private property.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't go out during the day today?"

Not rushing to bicker with Gin Uchiha, Itama Senju frowned with her delicate brows and tilted her head to ask. She always felt that the curly-haired guy in front of her was acting sneaky and hiding something from her.

"Ha~ I just felt there would be some excitement today, can't I come out early?"

Stared at by the girl's suspicious gaze, Gin Uchiha, feeling a bit guilty, yawned unnaturally and casually found an excuse.

Just then, Chiri Uchiha stepped forward, her cold, beautiful eyes scanning the well-dressed Gin Uchiha, finally landing on the corners of his mouth, and she slowly asked:

"Mr. Gin, have you eaten?"

Relying on the keen sense of smell of a ninja, Uchiha Zhili caught a strange scent on Uchiha Gin, and she always felt she had smelled this scent somewhere before.

"Ate it, ate it, ate until I was full~"

Worried that the two women would see through the ruse, Uchiha Gin immediately laughed it off, his eyes squinting into slits, smacking his lips as if savoring the delicacy he had just tasted.

"Mr. Gin!"

Just as Uchiha Gin was being questioned by the two women, a voice full of surprise suddenly came from behind; he turned around in confusion and saw a group of debtors, the man leading them looking at him with great joy.

"Isn't this Sasuke? Is Brother Takinosuke doing well~"

Seeing someone come to his rescue, Uchiha Gin, terrified of being exposed, immediately greeted them with a laugh.

"Thanks to you, Teacher's health is very robust, and he even has the energy to instruct Hiruzen recently."

At the mention of his mentor, the gratitude in the eyes of Sarutobi Sasuke grew even stronger, and he quickly replied.

"Mr. Gin, I would like to ask about the menu in your dungeon; Uncle Shinji has been having a poor appetite recently~"

Akimichi Shinji, standing behind Sarutobi Sasuke, leaned in with a smile; after his uncle was ransomed home, he showed a lack of appetite for the delicacies within the clan, sighing from time to time about how the dungeon food was this or that, which made him feel distressed while also sparking some curiosity.

One must know that the Akimichi clan is well-versed in the way of fine food; if it could make a great gourmet like Akimichi Shinji pine for it, the meals in that dungeon must be top-tier delicacies.

"Easy, easy; if the dungeon wasn't closed, I'd invite you in to stay for a few days to experience it properly~"

Uchiha Gin nodded in surprise, not expecting there to be someone who liked eating prison food.

"... he interest will be sent to you at the end of this month."

Compared to the familiarity of the others, Yamanaka Minako appeared somewhat reserved, even fearful; she kept her head down, looking at a loss, pinching her fingertips until they were taut, and squeezed a sentence out through her teeth with great embarrassment.

"No problem, no problem; if you are short on cash, you can apply for an extension and renew it for a few more years, the interest remains the same~"

Compared to the other families, the Yamanaka clan had suffered quite a bit, and it was unknown when the money they owed would ever be paid off.

If calculated according to the usury contract, Yamanaka Ino, one of the future Twelve Ninja Guardians, might also become his debtor, left for him to manipulate~

"Tsk~"

Suddenly, a very subtle "tsk" sounded, appearing very jarring amidst the harmonious conversation; upon hearing this sound, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and looked toward the owner of the voice.

"Why look at me? The amount our Shimura clan owes will not be a penny short; don't think about using such despicable means to hold us hostage."

For some reason, Shimura Kenichi always felt that the curly-haired man before him was an eyesore; even though he owed him hundreds of millions, he could not bring himself to offer fake flattery.

"Oh~ is Brother Jin'er doing well?"

Uchiha Gin did not take Shimura Kenichi's childish behavior to heart; this kid was just like his father, stubborn to the core, and since he held a secret that could keep him in check for a lifetime, this Shimura boy was still his to manipulate.

"Hmph~ let you down, Second Uncle is doing better than ever!"

"Then is your mother happy?"

"Of course she is, you curly-head, what do you mean by asking that?"

How did the conversation drift to his mother? Although his mother was indeed the happiest after his second uncle was ransomed, what did that have to do with this curly-head?

"Nothing, just asking~"

It seems Brother Jin'er has rekindled an old flame; this Shimura Kenichi might become the next person in charge of the Shimura clan~

Uchiha Gin had previously inquired about the detailed situation of the ninja clans; the situation of the Shimura clan was extremely special, as the current person in charge was Shimura Kenichi's father.

But he had no intention of making Shimura Kenichi the next person in charge, instead valuing the young son he had with his concubine even more.

Now that Brother Jin'er has made a strong comeback—his strength not only undiminished but having made significant breakthroughs during his years in the dungeon—and immediately hooked up with his old flame upon returning, then pushing his own son into the position of the person in charge is a done deal.

"Having a good father is truly great~"

Sigh~ no matter the era, it is always an era of relying on one's father.

Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Shimura Kenichi, who was about to reap rewards without labor; why didn't he have such good fortune, forced to rely on his own two hands to create a beautiful life~

"Mr. Gin, you don't seem to be very worried?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's expression remain normal, Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

"Huh? Worried about what?"

Suddenly asked this by Sarutobi Sasuke, Uchiha Gin was a bit stunned; could his little secret have been exposed? That shouldn't be, he always hid it very well!

"The position of Hokage; the head of the Uchiha clan is your younger brother, right?"

So that was it; Uchiha Gin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then put on a thoughtful posture and replied slowly.

"The position of Hokage should be held by the capable; we of the Uchiha clan also have dreams~"

"Then by your meaning, those of us families who abstained are just salted fish without dreams?"

Shimura Kenichi, standing to the side, immediately jumped out to pick a fight; in his view, Uchiha Gin was clearly mocking them in a roundabout way.

"No, no, no, I personally believe that fortunes change; all of your families will surely have the opportunity to vie for the position of Hokage in the future~"

Regarding Shimura Kenichi's baseless accusation, Uchiha Gin just smiled; he spread his hands, revealed a sincere expression, and encouraged the members of the Ninja Clan Alliance in front of him.

"I'll take your word for it; we certainly will."

Sarutobi Sasuke felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this; if Uchiha Gin, such a magnanimous and benevolent person, were not held back by his strength, he would surely be capable of taking on the position of Hokage and leading everyone toward prosperity.

If Uchiha Gin heard Sarutobi Sasuke's inner thoughts, he would likely pull out his black and hard wooden sword to crack this guy's skull open and see if he was missing a screw.

Who curses someone to be Hokage?

"However, I heard that Hashirama Senju has already captured two Tailed Beasts; I'm afraid the Uchiha Clan Head's chances are..."

Looking around to ensure there were no suspicious people, Sarutobi Sasuke leaned in and whispered the inside information he had obtained to Uchiha Gin.

"Nani~ he's already caught two? Tsk tsk tsk, big cousin is in danger~"

Uchiha Gin "frowned" upon hearing this, his tone carrying a hint of worry as he spoke.

But in his heart, he rolled his eyes; with the massive commotion of two Tailed Beasts, Uchiha Gin could sense it from ten streets away, and he didn't even need to look to guess which two Tailed Beasts Hashirama Senju had captured.

One was steaming like a pressure cooker; no need to guess, it had to be the Five-Tails, Kokuo.

And the other, exuding a sour, pungent aura, must be that slug, the Six-Tails, Saiken.

Still, Wood Release really is the bane of Tailed Beasts, to be able to take down the Five-Tails and Six-Tails so quickly.

Big cousin, you really need to step it up~

Even if we aren't fighting for the Hokage position, we have to fight for our pride; this competition is one of the few chances you have to beat Hashirama Senju.

"Mr. Gin, although the Uchiha Clan Head may not have a chance at the Hokage position this time, if the Uchiha clan still has ideas for the next term, our Sarutobi clan will definitely give our full support."

Seeing the lingering worry between Uchiha Gin's brows, Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but offer comfort; in his view, the position of the First Hokage of Konoha would most likely be taken by Hashirama Senju.

But there are still the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and so on!

Their Ninja Clan Alliance had an unstable foundation, so they didn't need to think about the Second Hokage's position for now; it would be better to do a favor and help the Uchiha clan get into power, which could be considered building a good relationship in advance.

"Huh?"

This was something Uchiha Gin never expected; he had clearly offended the entire Ninja Clan Alliance, hadn't he?

It would be good enough if you didn't revolt against us, and you want to support the Uchiha to be Hokage?

"Our Yamanaka clan is also willing..."

Unexpectedly, the second one to follow up was the silent Yamanaka Minako; she forced herself to perk up, her blue-green eyes staring directly into Uchiha Gin's, her tone sounding somewhat unnatural.

"Hmm?" *2

Senju Itama and Uchiha Zhili, who were watching the show on the side, suddenly had their alarm bells ringing; their curious gazes instantly became profound, staring straight at the unnaturally speaking Yamanaka Minako, as two diametrically opposed auras erupted from their bodies, the threat implicit.

"I don't mean anything else! I just want to ask, if the Uchiha become Hokage, can our Yamanaka clan's interest be reduced by a few points?"

Suddenly locked onto by two cold and hot gazes, Yamanaka Minako, who was about to continue speaking while staring at Uchiha Gin, instantly broke into a cold sweat, her heart rate accelerating to the point of exploding; having never encountered such pressure before, she hurriedly explained the reason for her actions.

"Phew~"

The next moment, feeling the gaze vanish, Yamanaka Minako finally breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the two beautiful women standing beside Uchiha Gin with lingering fear, swallowing hard.

Worried about being targeted by these two women exuding terrifying auras, Yamanaka Minako had to play her trump card, attempting to dispel the other party's concerns.

"I am a married woman, my child is already old enough to run errands~"

"Hey~ Mrs. Yamanaka, why didn't you say so earlier? You wouldn't want to..."

(End of chapter)