Chapter 364: 308. Chapter 305: Is Uchiha Madara Defecting?

308. Chapter 305: Is Uchiha Madara Defecting?

Several days had passed since Uchiha Gin finished his mission. During this time, miraculously, nothing troublesome had happened, and he was finally able to enjoy himself completely, curling up at home like a corpse every day and living the life of a slacker that everyone envied.

"Sigh~ I'm so bored! Kid, come dance for me to liven things up."

Lying flat on the sofa in a "Ge You slouch," Uchiha Gin cast a glance with his dull, dead-fish eyes at Senju Itama, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen. Watching the little brat, who was wearing a custom-made apron and standing on a small stool while humming an unknown tune with practiced movements, he picked his nose and issued the order in a very punchable manner.

"Whoosh~"

Unfortunately, daydreaming is not advisable. A cold glint arrived first; a sharp kitchen knife flew over with lightning speed, grazing the tip of Uchiha Gin's nose and embedding itself into the living room wall. The entire blade sank into the wall under the force of the super-strength, leaving only the lonely handle behind.

"Gulp~"

"Don't take it seriously, I was just joking."

Feeling that several hairs on the tip of his nose had been shaved off, a terrified Uchiha Gin swallowed hard and shakily straightened up.

"You don't go out to work or earn money all day long; do you know how expensive rice is now?"

A furious-looking Senju Itama walked out of the kitchen. First, he glared at the corpse-like Uchiha Gin, then he trotted over to the wall and easily pulled out the kitchen knife embedded in it.

"I'm just waiting for a notification, aren't I~"

It would have been better not to mention it, but as soon as the word "work" came up, Uchiha Gin felt a surge of anger. He had sent money and even offered people, yet in the end, no job was secured for him. How exactly was Hashirama running this Hidden Leaf Village? If his work efficiency remained like this, he would have to consider replacing him.

"Bang, bang, bang~"

Just as Uchiha Gin was complaining in his heart, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. Confused, he looked at the sky; who would visit at high noon? Could it be a door-to-door salesman?

"Bang, bang, bang~"

"I still have to cook, you go open it."

Senju Itama, holding the kitchen knife, rolled his eyes at the unmoved Uchiha Gin, signaling him to open the door while he continued his culinary grand undertaking with his chubby little legs.

What a hassle!

Uchiha Gin helplessly stood up, rubbed his own fluffy curly hair, and walked over to open the door while yawning.

Creak~

"Sorry, we don't need any deodorizer."

Uchiha Gin opened the door without even looking at the person, waving his hand habitually to shoo them away; it was clear that there had been many door-to-door salesmen lately.

"Big Brother Gin, it's me."

The man with a ponytail standing outside the door looked at Uchiha Gin, who was too lazy to even open his eyes, and very helplessly identified himself.

"Eh? So it's Fire Core, long time no see~"

Hearing the familiar voice, Uchiha Gin finally lifted his drooping eyelids and greeted his former colleague with great enthusiasm.

"Why did you come empty-handed?"

He scanned left and right, only to find that the other party was empty-handed. The enthusiasm that had just ignited faded by more than half, and the eyelids he had just propped up returned to their original position.

"Uh, I won't go in. I just came today to notify you, Big Brother Gin, to please attend the clan meeting on time tomorrow morning."

Uchiha Hi no Core, who was already used to Uchiha Gin's flighty personality and accustomed to his hot-and-cold attitude, shook his head, explained the purpose of his visit, bowed, and turned to leave.

"Oh my~ why don't you stay for a quick meal?"

Seeing that Uchiha Hi no Core had already walked more than ten meters away, Uchiha Gin loudly offered the polite gesture as if he had "just woken from a dream."

"Sure! I haven't eaten yet anyway."

"Clang!"

"."

Quickly slamming the door to see the guest out, Uchiha Gin stroked his chin thoughtfully. How many years had it been since they held a clan meeting? He had even thought this tradition had been abolished.

"I wonder what the eldest cousin wants to do."

Under normal circumstances, a clan meeting of the Uchiha clan could only be initiated by the clan leader. Over the years, Uchiha Madara's focus had been on the Hidden Leaf, leaving all the big and small affairs of the clan to his younger cousin Izuna, so the last time a clan meeting was held was before the founding of the Hidden Leaf.

"What's wrong, is it another deodorizer salesman?"

Senju Itama, who was cooking, poked his head out of the kitchen and asked with a puzzled look.

"No, it's a notification from the clan that there's a clan meeting tomorrow."

Lazily returning to the sofa, the lying-flat Uchiha Gin answered truthfully.

"Ah! Then what are you going to wear? You're so fat that you can't fit into your previous clothes anymore!"

Hearing that there was a clan meeting, Senju Itama walked out in surprise, looked Uchiha Gin up and down, and stated a cruel reality in a troubled tone.

"I told you not to wash them; I only wore them twice, and now they've shrunk and I can't wear them. What do you say we should do?"

Stung in his sore spot, Uchiha Gin immediately flipped over and shifted the blame, refusing to admit that his obesity was caused by excessive sugar intake.

"Hmph! You are not allowed to eat today. If you starve a little, you might barely be able to squeeze into them."

Senju Itama ignored this baseless accusation, snorted coldly with his little nose, and revoked Uchiha Gin's meal privileges for the day.

"You monster~ you monster~"

The next day.

"Rumble~ rumble~"

Uchiha Gin, who had been forcibly squeezed into his classic "Founding of the Hidden Leaf" skin by Senju Itama, walked down the streets of the Hidden Leaf with a dejected look, rubbing his hungry stomach.

"I really have suffered a great deal~"

Along the way, Uchiha Gin saw many clan members dressed the same as him. Everyone had an excited look on their faces; it seemed they were all full of anticipation for the long-awaited clan meeting.

"Why do you think the Clan Leader is calling for a clan meeting?"

"Do we even need to guess? He's definitely going to reveal the date of the Hokage inauguration to everyone so we can prepare in advance~"

"I think so too. The Clan Leader is diligent and conscientious; logically and emotionally, he is the only candidate for the Second Hokage."

"Haha, our Uchiha can finally stand tall in the Hidden Leaf. Those arrogant Senju should also bow their heads to us!"

Hearing the passionate discussions of the clan members in his ears, Uchiha Gin's brows furrowed slightly. It was only the second year of the Hidden Leaf, and Hashirama was in the prime of his career. Asking him to abdicate and yield the position now was probably not realistic.

If another ten or eight years passed, the eldest cousin could definitely take the baton from him and become the legitimate Second Hokage, while Hashirama could retire to the second line with peace of mind, take on a leisurely honorary position like a principal, hold his grandchildren, walk his dogs, and enjoy family happiness.

"Huff~ he wouldn't be thinking of a coup, would he?"

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt, and a terrifying thought suddenly flashed through Uchiha Gin's mind.

One had to know that every Uchiha capable of awakening the Sharingan carried a bit of paranoia and extremism, to say nothing of the Mangekyo.

Could it be that the workplace bullying by the white-haired guy had caused the eldest cousin to harbor resentment, and over time, his mindset had undergone a earth-shattering change, and he was preparing to skip the long wait and take the position of Hokage by force?

"That's not right, the eldest cousin can't beat Hashirama, isn't this just asking for trouble?"

But Uchiha Gin quickly extinguished this thought. Although Uchiha Madara was his cousin, he had to admit that the eldest cousin was indeed no match for Senju Hashirama; even with the Nine-Tails, he hadn't beaten the "hacked" Sage Hashirama.

Wait.

The Nine-Tails!!!

"Big Brother Gin, over here!"

Just as Uchiha Gin's imagination was running wild, a familiar voice rang out not far away. After looking up, he saw several acquaintances waving enthusiastically in front of the Uchiha clan shrine. The one who had just spoken was Uchiha Jiro, who had joined the Police Force.

"Long time no see~"

Thinking more was useless; he would just have to wait and see when the meeting started. So, Uchiha Gin gave up on thinking and greeted them.

"Big Brother Gin, what have you been busy with lately?"

"Brother Jiro, it's classified, I can't say."

The honest and simple-minded "Little Minion" Jiro had shed his previous impetuousness. Now over thirty, he had gained a bit of composure and sophistication, though the subtle lewdness in the corners of his eyes revealed the truth that he was still a fan of "glue-beating."

Staying true to his original intentions, worthy of praise~

"Lord Gin, do you know the purpose of today's clan meeting?"

"How could we, these idle personnel, know something that even Great Elder Lu Cha doesn't know~"

The middle-aged man who asked the question was none other than Uchiha Lu Cha, whom Uchiha Gin had personally promoted. This "jailer" who had been a tool for him for over a decade had finally succeeded in being promoted to Great Elder not long ago, making him a person in the clan who was below two people but above ten thousand.

"Lord Gin, what elder or not elder, your words are really shaming this lowly one."

Uchiha Lu Cha touched his bald head, which had turned into a "Mediterranean" due to day and night toil, and shook his head with a bitter smile.

The Mediterranean Elder, very majestic!

"Oh my~ isn't this little Setsuna? Don't always keep such a stiff face, come and give your uncle a smile~"

Passing by Uchiha Lu Cha, Uchiha Gin cast his gaze on the guy hiding behind them. Looking at the stiff-faced Uchiha Setsuna, he teased and raised his eyebrows, greeting him.

"Hmph!"

Even though he was already an adult, the moment he saw Uchiha Gin's devilish face, Uchiha Setsuna, known for his cold arrogance, subconsciously clamped his legs together and shifted his sinister eyes away, refusing to meet his gaze.

How rude, he'll definitely end up in jail later.

"Eldest Cousin! Why are you still outside? Come in quickly, the meeting is about to start~"

Before he could exchange more pleasantries with them, Uchiha Izuna walked out from inside. Seeing Uchiha Gin, he hurriedly stepped forward to pull him inside.

"Homies, see you later~"

There was no help for it; Uchiha Gin had to wave goodbye to them and follow Uchiha Izuna into the inner hall of the shrine first.

On the way, Uchiha Gin noticed that his younger cousin's expression was a bit off, looking preoccupied, so he asked,

"Little cousin, what kind of trouble is the eldest cousin causing now?"

Only Uchiha Madara could make him show such an expression.

"Sigh~ it's a long story."

Uchiha Izuna, walking in front, sighed upon hearing this. He turned his head to look at Uchiha Gin and said,

"It's all your fault, Eldest Cousin, for being too indulgent with Big Brother, which makes him do whatever comes to his mind."

Ha! Why was he being handed the blame right away?

"What exactly happened?"

Uchiha Gin already had a vague, bad premonition; could this kid Uchiha Madara be thinking of causing a huge scandal?

"Big brother, he..."

"Big cousin! You finally came. Sit behind me later and help me bolster my courage~"

Before Uchiha Izuna could finish speaking, Uchiha Madara's joyful voice rang in their ears. Wearing a brand-new high-collared robe, the big cousin walked out from the inner hall. Seeing Uchiha Gin, he immediately leaned in.

"Me sitting behind you, isn't that inappropriate?"

In truth, there was another reason Uchiha Madara was unwilling to start the clan meeting: Uchiha Tajima, who used to sit behind him, had passed away. Feeling empty behind him, he was no longer that passionate orator.

"An elder brother is like a father; only with you behind me can I set my mind at ease."

In Uchiha Madara's heart, there were only two people he could trust to watch his back: one was his younger brother Izuna, and the other was his big cousin Uchiha Gin.

"Alright."

Since his big cousin had said so, it would seem distant for Uchiha Gin to decline further, so he didn't act coy and nodded to agree to the matter.

"Izuna, where is the draft I asked you to prepare earlier?"

After arranging Uchiha Gin, Uchiha Madara turned his head to ask Uchiha Izuna, whose expression had darkened slightly.

"Big brother, have you really thought this through? This matter is no child's play!"

Uchiha Izuna, who had always been obedient to Uchiha Madara, actually went against his usual nature to question his big brother.

"Just let me be willful this once, Izuna."

Facing his younger brother's questioning, Uchiha Madara did not answer directly; with a look of guilt on his face, he shook his head gently.

"No! How could I possibly write that kind of speech draft? As a Hokage candidate, the Uchiha Clan Head abandoning his post? You are betraying the village!"

Uchiha Izuna's expression turned cold, and he said in a voice that was nearly a roar.

"Huh?"

Uchiha Gin, who was busy eating melon, heard his little cousin's words and was so scared that he dropped his melon seeds all over the floor. Looking at his bitter-faced big cousin, he tremblingly raised his hand.

"Did I hear that right? Big cousin, you want to defect?"

How did it go around in circles and return to the original plot? I, your big cousin, already paved the way for you; if you just walked it steadily, you would definitely achieve success and fame. Why are you unable to let go and insist on betraying the village?

Did you, kid, awaken some kind of defection system behind my back?

"Big cousin, don't listen to his nonsense. I am just leaving the village for a while, a few days at the shortest, a few months at the longest."

"Leaving the village? Do you know what your current status is?"

As a legitimate Hokage candidate, even being missing for a day could lead to being branded a rogue ninja by a certain white-haired man, let alone for an indefinite period. Wouldn't that be used by Tobirama Senju to make a huge fuss?

"I know, but I want to win once."

Knowing the severity of the situation, Uchiha Madara nodded with a gloomy expression. He was currently being tailed by that guy Tobirama Senju every day at work; if he spent more than five minutes in the restroom, the other party would come to knock on the door and urge him, let alone suddenly disappearing for several days.

"You, oh you, is a momentary victory really that important? Whoever laughs last is the winner!"

Facing the stubborn Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Gin was almost angered to the point of fainting. He had racked his brains to clear away the biggest stumbling block on his path to becoming Hokage.

Now this is great; instead, he doesn't cherish the victory fruit delivered to his mouth and insists on jumping up to pick it himself. When you fall and make a fool of yourself, losing both your reputation and your position, let's see who you go crying to.

"I understand the logic, but I just want to win once by my own strength!"

The stubborn personality of the Uchiha clan was fully revealed at this moment. No matter how much Uchiha Gin said, he only stuck to his own logic, single-mindedly wanting to defeat Hashirama Senju to prove himself; even ten Tailed Beasts couldn't pull him back.

"Then you could at least report it to Hashirama~"

"I just want to give him a surprise!"

Uchiha Gin had previously said he wanted to give Hashirama a surprise, so Uchiha Madara didn't want Hashirama Senju to know that the reason for his departure was to capture the Nine-Tails to guard the Hidden Leaf Village.

"But by doing this, you might miss out on the position of Hokage."

"As long as I win against Hashirama, the position of Hokage will still be mine!"

Clenching his fists with full confidence, Uchiha Madara had the air of someone who was determined to succeed.

"But..."

"Clan Head! It is time for the meeting~"

Just as Uchiha Gin was organizing his words, preparing to reason with him, a Uchiha clansman knocked on the door of the inner hall and said respectfully.

"I know."

Uchiha Madara replied in a deep voice, turned his head to look at his brothers, and walked out without looking back.

"Big cousin! You have to think of a way!"

Uchiha Izuna was anxious; if Uchiha Madara really abandoned his post, he would definitely be branded a rogue ninja by his arch-rival.

"Do not be anxious."

With his brows tightly furrowed, Uchiha Gin helplessly pacified his little cousin.

A Hokage candidate is a very sensitive position, equivalent to a Crown Prince in ancient times; one has little real power and must be careful everywhere, fearing that someone will find a handle to use against them.

"Sigh~ forget it, let's go to the meeting first and see what the big cousin plans to say."

Inside the shrine hall

The Uchiha clansmen, dressed in uniform, sat cross-legged, waiting for the meeting to begin with very serious expressions. As Uchiha Madara pushed the door and entered, everyone's face revealed fanatical worship.

Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Izuna followed closely behind. After Uchiha Madara glanced at the two, he didn't make any extra expressions and sat directly next to the enshrined stone tablet.

"Let's go, don't reject his face."

Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Izuna looked at each other. He walked over first, and amidst the surprised gazes of the clansmen, sat behind Uchiha Madara, while his little cousin sat by his side.

"Do you know why I suddenly called for a clan meeting today?"

Feeling the burning gazes of the clansmen, Uchiha Madara couldn't help but feel a bit heavy; the words that were already on his lips turned into a counter-question.

"It must be that the Clan Head is about to succeed to the position of Hokage and wants to tell everyone this good news in advance!"

An older clansman raised his hand and said excitedly.

"That's right!"

"Long live the Clan Head! Long live the Uchiha!"

This answer instantly ignited the entire meeting. Many clansmen who had followed Uchiha Madara for many years raised their hands high, their faces showing fanaticism, shouting "Long live."

Seeing this scene, Uchiha Madara's heart became even heavier. He also knew that these clansmen who had followed him for many years were all longing to see a Hokage from the Uchiha clan in their lifetime.

But because he had repeatedly lost to Hashirama, he had missed the position of First Hokage, making these clansmen unable to hold their heads high in front of the Senju clan.

"Clan Head, just give us a date. We will go to the Hokage Rock and perform fireworks for the whole village to let them know who is the most magnificent clan in the Hidden Leaf. Those bumpkin Senju can't catch up to our art even if they try."

The clansmen below were already excitedly discussing the performance items for the fireworks festival.

"My Phoenix Sage Fire Technique's magnificence has been affirmed by the old Clan Head. Let me start things off for everyone!"

A white-haired, elderly man in his twilight years stood up tremblingly, opened his toothless mouth, and recommended himself with great vigor.

"My Explosive Fire Dance has been mastered; I will definitely surprise everyone!"

"My Great Fireball..."

"Move aside, what are you joining in for with the Great Fireball?"

For a time, the scene was even more heated than before, which made Uchiha Madara, who was prepared to announce his news of leaving the village, a bit difficult to speak. He then cast his gaze on Izuna beside him, wanting him to help.

"Hmph~"

Uchiha Izuna ignored his big brother; he wanted to see if Uchiha Madara could bear to pour cold water on such enthusiastic clansmen.

"Big cousin..."

Having failed to get help, Uchiha Madara had to turn his gaze to Uchiha Gin behind him; the look of pleading in his eyes was visible to the naked eye.

"Fine, fine, if you want to say it, then say it."

If he kept this energy bottled up inside with nowhere to vent, Uchiha Madara would sooner or later get sick from it. It was better to let him vent it out; if he really left later, he wouldn't have too much of a burden.

I have to clean up after my big cousin again; I really have a life of toil~

"Quiet!"

After hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Uchiha Madara felt as if he had taken a reassurance pill. He immediately put on a serious expression and said loudly to the chaotic meeting hall.

The meeting hall, which had just been bustling with noise, instantly fell silent. All the clansmen craned their necks in anticipation, wanting to hear what Uchiha Madara was going to announce.

"The position of Hokage, I am determined to get, but how can we, the Uchiha clan, accept handouts?"

"Clan Head, what do you mean by that?"

The clansmen, who had just been extremely excited, were instantly filled with doubts. Looking at the majestic-looking Uchiha Madara, they asked cautiously.

"I plan to leave the Hidden Leaf for a period of time to seek new power."

Without hiding it, Uchiha Madara still made his thoughts public, which was met with the dumbfounded expressions of all the clansmen present.

"Slap!"

Uchiha Izuna, at his side, helplessly slapped his own forehead. He didn't expect his big brother to be so single-minded; facing the expectant clansmen, he could still cruelly announce the news of his departure.

"What?"

"The Clan Head is leaving the Hidden Leaf?"

"We were just waiting, why leave?"

"Did the Senju brothers give you a hard time? If so, please blink!"

After a brief silence, there was an overwhelming wave of questioning from the clansmen. Uchiha Madara silently closed his eyes and did not answer.

"Clan Head, are you giving up the position of Hokage candidate?"

A clansman stood up, his tone filled with deep disappointment. In his view, leaving the Hidden Leaf was equivalent to giving up the position of Hokage candidate.

"That's right, my goal has never been a mere candidate position."

Slowly opening his eyes, Uchiha Madara's eyes were stained with a scarlet color at some point. He looked coldly at the clansmen below and said,

"I am not asking for your consent, merely notifying you." (End of chapter)