Chapter 365: 309. Chapter 306: Indra really won't rest even in death

309. Chapter 306: Indra really won't rest even in death

After saying this, Uchiha Madara left the venue without looking back, leaving the messy aftermath for Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Izuna to handle.

"Sigh~ Little cousin, you go soothe the clansmen first; I'm going to find Big cousin to have a word."

Not expecting Uchiha Madara to be so decisive, leaving the venue without even an extra word of explanation, Uchiha Gin stood up helplessly, gave Uchiha Izuna a quick instruction, and walked away briskly.

In the venue, an inconspicuous clansman, after hearing Uchiha Madara's explosive statement, had a strange light flickering in their eyes; they quietly slipped away in the chaos, destination unknown.

Walking out of the venue, Uchiha Gin soon caught up to Uchiha Madara's back. Discovering that his big cousin was following, he kept his head down in silence, looking as helpless as a child who had done something wrong and was waiting for punishment.

"Let's go, this isn't the place to talk."

Uchiha Gin, who had been ready to start lecturing, sighed slightly in his heart and pointed toward the backyard, signaling for the other to follow.

Uchiha Gin knew that saying anything now would be of no use. The Uchiha clan was not an impenetrable fortress; he estimated that what Uchiha Madara had just said had already been reported to the Senju brothers.

"You're leaving to find the Nine-Tails, right?"

Sitting in the pavilion in the backyard, Uchiha Gin looked up at Uchiha Madara, who had remained silent the whole time, and said slowly,

"Uh, Big cousin, how did you know?"

Uchiha Madara looked up, somewhat dumbfounded, and stared at Uchiha Gin, who was holding his forehead and sighing, looking very confused.

How could I not know? You asked me about the Tailed Beasts a few days ago, and today you're preparing to run away from the village. If it's not to capture the Nine-Tails, I'll cut off my basket and give it to a little girl to drink with her wine.

"Can a dog-owner not know the habits of their dog?"

"I... sigh~"

The words were crude but true. Uchiha Gin was indeed one of the people in this world who understood him best, so Uchiha Madara had to swallow his pride and accept the remark.

"It's such a hassle. Can't you just follow the path I've planned out for you properly?"

Seeing Uchiha Madara remain silent, Uchiha Gin felt a headache. Everything just required waiting, so why did he have to go and prove himself?

Could it be that Indra's chakra is at work?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Gin suddenly had a realization. Indra and Asura had been fighting for generations, and their accumulated grudges were growing deeper; they would definitely stir up trouble at any opportunity.

It's a good thing my fragments haven't been fully collected yet. Next time I roll a 'what-is-gay', I'll just click it!

Even if Big cousin were willing to compromise, the chakra within him wouldn't agree. It was probably influencing him every moment to go and challenge Hashirama.

"Big cousin, I know you do it all for my own good."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's muttering, Uchiha Madara felt deeply moved. He knew that ever since the village was built, his big cousin had been racking his brains for his position as Hokage, even calculating that guy Tobirama Senju into it.

However, whenever the night was deep and quiet, a certain inexplicable obsession would always emerge in Uchiha Madara's heart, telling him incessantly that he must win, that he must defeat Hashirama fair and square to prove himself.

"If there's something dirty involved, then there's really nothing to be done."

Having figured out why Uchiha Madara could do such a reckless thing, Uchiha Gin shook his head helplessly. His lifeless, dead-fish eyes seemed to see through everything, making Uchiha Madara feel somewhat baffled, and he subconsciously checked his clothes.

I shouldn't have any stains on me, right?

"But leaving without a word is ultimately not very decent. You should still go and say goodbye to Hashirama~"

"No need, right? If things go smoothly, I'll be back in a few days."

Uchiha Madara didn't know how to face Hashirama Senju; after all, the fault was his, as he was the one leaving the village first.

"That's not up to you."

Uchiha Gin extended a finger, pointed at a small black dot in the sky, and reminded his big cousin without looking up: the person you're thinking of is here.

"Thud!"

As the black dot grew larger, Hashirama Senju, dressed in his Hokage robe, descended from the sky and stomped heavily onto the ground, smashing a large crater into the packed earth.

"Madara! Why are you leaving me?"

With a look of panic on his honest and handsome face, Hashirama Senju had been burning with anxiety after hearing the inside news, jumping directly from the Hokage building to the Uchiha compound in a few leaps.

"Sorry, Hashirama, I have reasons why I must leave."

Although he was very reluctant in his heart, Uchiha Madara still gritted his teeth and insisted. Seeing this, Hashirama Senju stepped forward anxiously, opened his arms, and spoke with great sincerity,

"I cannot do without your help! You are the right-hand man of the Hokage, my brother. I hope you can continue to assist me!"

However, facing Hashirama Senju's emotional plea, Uchiha Madara, who had already made up his mind, chose silence.

Seeing this, Hashirama Senju, anxious in his heart, hurriedly added,

"Ten years! No! Five years. Just five years, and then you will be the Second Hokage."

"Hmph~ Do you think I would accept your charity? Anything I, Uchiha Madara, want to obtain, I will obtain through my own strength!"

Hearing Hashirama Senju's promise, Uchiha Madara slowly raised his head, a look of utter disdain on his face. He crossed his arms and looked at the other with a very serious gaze.

"Then why do you still want to leave the village? This is the ideal land we built together."

"I will be back!"

"How long?"

"I don't know."

Originally, upon hearing Uchiha Madara say he would return, a flash of joy had crossed Hashirama Senju's face, but as soon as he heard the time was uncertain, waves of helplessness welled up in his heart again.

"At least tell me the reason."

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you."

He absolutely could not let Hashirama know about his plan to capture the Nine-Tails; that was his secret weapon.

"Big Brother Gin, please help me persuade him too!"

Seeing that his own persuasion was fruitless, Hashirama Senju cast a pleading look at Uchiha Gin, who was on the sidelines eating melon seeds.

"My younger brother has a stubborn temperament; even ten Tailed Beasts couldn't pull him back."

Chewing and swallowing the melon seed kernel in his mouth, Uchiha Gin spread his hands, appearing unable to help.

"But we can't just watch Madara become a rogue ninja who leaves the village without permission!"

Not expecting that even Uchiha Gin's words wouldn't work, Hashirama Senju was truly anxious. His chakra began to overflow uncontrollably, and his gaze became sharp.

If talking was useless, then he would have no choice but to beat Madara until he was crippled.

I will be responsible for taking care of him for the rest of his life!

Triggered by the chakra within Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Madara's eyes gradually dyed scarlet, and the violent fighting spirit in his heart began to surge.

"Hashirama, your gaze is very dangerous. Calm down; things haven't reached the point of resorting to force yet."

Sensing the volcanic surge of chakra within Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Gin threw away the melon seed shells in his hand and raised his hand to block the space between the two.

"Big cousin?"

"Big Brother Gin?"

The two looked at Uchiha Gin blocking them, both shocked in their hearts, secretly blaming themselves for why they had become so impulsive.

"Is it really not okay to let my big cousin go out to clear his head?"

Uchiha Gin was not intimidated by the aura erupting from the two; instead, he scratched his head as if nothing had happened and asked Hashirama Senju.

"The status of Madara as the Hokage's assistant is too sensitive. It's not wartime right now, so logically, he shouldn't be allowed to leave his post without permission."

"Logically speaking, that means there's still room for discussion~"

"If it were to carry out some kind of secret mission, it wouldn't be impossible to leave the village."

Hashirama Senju thought for a moment and answered truthfully.

"That's it then! Big cousin, come over here and tell us if there are any long-term missions lately."

Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly called over Uchiha Madara, who was standing silently to the side. As the head of the mission hall, he certainly knew about mission information.

"Unfortunately, the mission hall doesn't have such missions."

Gently shaking his head, Uchiha Madara answered with regret. Such secret missions certainly couldn't be published in the mission hall; they would be issued directly by the Hokage, with single-line contact.

"Whoosh!"

Just as the three were discussing, a bolt of blue lightning suddenly flashed behind Hashirama Senju. Tobirama Senju, fully armed, arrived by relying on the Flying Thunder God mark inscribed on his older brother. After landing, he looked up, his scarlet eyes filled with intense joy.

"Brother! Uchiha Madara has rebelled, right? As expected of those naturally evil old Uchiha, I will personally—"

However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw three pairs of eyes filled with mockery staring straight at him, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words alive.

"Cough, cough... So, he hasn't left yet?"

Awkwardly retracting the short blade in his hand, Tobirama Senju coughed a few times and hid behind his older brother.

"You hateful white-hair, I'm only leaving for a while. What do you mean by 'rebelled'?"

Having already guessed that this guy Tobirama Senju would make a big deal out of him leaving the village without permission, he hadn't expected to be branded with the baseless charge of treason before he had even left. Uchiha Madara was so angry his eyes turned red, and he wished he could give this guy a slash.

"You are leaving your post without permission. If that isn't an attempt at treason, then what is it?"

With his older brother as his backing, Tobirama Senju became much bolder.

"I!"

Unable to reveal the matter of capturing the Nine-Tails, Uchiha Madara could only show a look of wanting to speak but stopping, which only deepened Tobirama Senju's suspicion.

"Brother, look, he has nothing to say. Why don't you take him down, throw him in the dungeon, and judge him on another day!"

"Alright, Tobirama, stop messing around. Madara really has something to do, so he needs to go out for a trip."

Reaching out to press down his brother, who was barking uselessly, Hashirama Senju explained to him with a helpless look.

"If there's really something to do, then report it. After all, I, this village secretary, am not that unreasonable. As long as the reason is appropriate, I will approve it~"

Hearing his older brother's words, Tobirama Senju, feeling somewhat regretful in his heart, put on the airs of a village secretary, looking all business-like, which made one's fists itch.

"Hmph~"

Tobirama Senju's attitude clearly meant he wanted him to beg. Uchiha Madara wouldn't fall for that. You want to use unspoken rules on me? Go ask your Hokage-sama to come do it!

"Oh, ho~ Then there's nothing to talk about. Remember to come to work on time tomorrow!"

Seeing that Uchiha Madara refused to lower his head and beg him, Tobirama Senju immediately spread his hands and then instructed the other not to be late tomorrow.

"Brother, I have a proposal here regarding the Tailed Beast Knight plan. Take a look at it. If it's feasible, I'll go recruit suitable candidates right away."

Ignoring Uchiha Madara, who was fuming with a red face and neck, Senju Tobirama reached back, pulled a document from his robes, and handed it to the visibly troubled Senju Hashirama.

"Sigh~ I'm not in the mood right now; I'll read it when I get back."

Senju Hashirama had no heart for administrative work right now; coaxing his old flame was the top priority.

"Oh? Let me see~"

Uchiha Gin, standing to the side, raised an eyebrow at the words "Tailed Beast Knight." He naturally took the document from Senju Tobirama's hand.

"Ah! Go ahead and look."

Senju Tobirama, who had been about to lash out at having his classified document intercepted, saw that the person who snatched it was Uchiha Gin. The wariness in his eyes slowly faded, and he nodded helplessly.

"Huh, isn't this like finding a pillow just as you're getting sleepy!"

Flipping through the document Senju Tobirama had handed over, a faint smile gradually appeared on Uchiha Gin's face. He then raised his head and spoke to the tense Uchiha Madara.

"Big Cousin, your mission has arrived~"

"Huh?"

"It's this. I never expected this white-haired guy to do something good for once~"

"You curly-haired brat, what kind of nonsensical things are you saying?"

Uchiha Gin's words left everyone completely confused.

"Don't you need someone to help you patrol the four nations to see if they are abiding by the peace treaty, and incidentally investigate intelligence on the Tailed Beast Knight in secret?"

"Mm."

"For a mission like this, don't you need someone with a strong sense of belonging to the Hidden Leaf Village, who is also powerful and intimidating enough to execute it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"How about Big Cousin? Isn't he the best candidate~"

"Mm-hmm-hmm-hmm?"

Following Uchiha Gin's words, Senju Tobirama, who had been nodding incessantly, froze in place upon hearing Uchiha Gin recommend Uchiha Madara for the mission. He twisted his stiff neck, momentarily left speechless.

"Let me take a look!"

Seeing this, Senju Hashirama took the proposal from Uchiha Gin's hand and read it carefully. After a long while, he handed the proposal to the bewildered Uchiha Madara with a face full of joy.

"This is..."

Uchiha Madara, having taken it in a daze, looked at the proposal in his hands, and a faint smile played on the corners of his mouth.

This white-haired guy really helped him out a lot this time.

As it turned out, after Senju Tobirama learned the intelligence about the Tailed Beast Knight from Uchiha Gin, he hadn't slept well all night. The next day, when no one was around, he secretly contacted his younger sister and asked her out to inquire about what had happened during the mission.

Unexpectedly, in the account of Senju Itama, the power of the Tailed Beast Knight was further exaggerated—"a thousand strikes in an instant," "crow sitting on a plane"—making his heart feel increasingly heavy as he listened.

After bidding farewell to his miniaturized sister, Senju Tobirama went back and immediately started writing, listing the Tailed Beast Knight as an S-rank threat. He then began drafting a proposal, the general content being that the Hidden Leaf Village would dispatch a powerful secret squad to secretly patrol the four great nations to ensure they were abiding by the peace treaty, while simultaneously collecting intelligence on the Tailed Beast Knight.

"Hmph~ No need to recruit any squad. For a mission like this, I alone am enough."

Because Uchiha Madara had other motives, he did not want to form a team with others.

"Tobirama, I think Madara is very suitable, and he is the Hokage's assistant; his loyalty is absolutely reliable!"

At this moment, a calmed Senju Tobirama frowned slightly. When he was writing the proposal, he had already been thinking about suitable candidates, but after going through the list, he found that there weren't many reliable people in the Hidden Leaf Village, and most of their strength was not up to par, which was why he had been in such a rush to consult Senju Hashirama.

Now, after Uchiha Gin's reminder, he realized he had overlooked the Uchiha clan. Previously, he hadn't even considered Uchiha Madara for the list.

After all, in Senju Tobirama's view, Uchiha Madara, who was obsessed with the Hokage's..., would certainly not accept a long-term assignment away.

"Are you willing to go?"

"Helping Hashirama solve his worries and difficulties is the duty of this Hokage's assistant!"

At this moment, Uchiha Madara acted like a dutiful, model employee, leaving Senju Tobirama unable to find any fault.

"You need to think clearly. This is a secret mission. As the executor, you will leave quietly and are destined to bear much slander in the village until you return after completing the mission, at which point we can clear your name."

Senju Tobirama, who still felt uneasy in his heart, clearly explained the pros and cons of the mission to Uchiha Madara.

"You are the Hokage's assistant now; there is no need to gamble your future for a mission."

Although Senju Tobirama had deep-seated prejudices against Uchiha Madara, so far, the Uchiha clan had not only not held the Hidden Leaf Village back or sabotaged the village's development, but had also brought many positive effects to the Hidden Leaf Village's growth.

Perhaps he had been looking at Uchiha Madara through colored glasses before; this guy wasn't as annoying as he had imagined.

"Damn white-haired guy, who are you looking down on!"

Feeling looked down upon, Uchiha Madara's gaze instantly sharpened. Monstrous ocular power overflowed, and the cold, obscure pressure made Senju Tobirama's heart palpitate.

I wasn't wrong; he really is a naturally evil Uchiha old fogey!

"Hmph! Since you want to seek death yourself, I won't stop you. This mission is yours."

Senju Tobirama was immediately choked with anger. He had kindly tried to persuade him, but he didn't expect Uchiha Madara to be so unappreciative. Fine, let him go alone; it would be best if he died out there. That way, the position of the Second Hokage would be back to our Senju clan!

Finally, with the witness of the others, Senju Hashirama personally wrote the mission order. Because it was highly classified, Senju Tobirama, the initiator of the mission, couldn't help but urge them repeatedly.

"The fewer people who know about this mission, the better. Apart from the four of us here, it must never be leaked to a fifth person."

"Big Cousin, now you can go with peace of mind. Remember to write letters~"

Looking at the mission order handed over by Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Gin smiled and nudged Uchiha Madara beside him.

"No! Accepting this mission is equivalent to turning your back on the light and merging into the darkness. Apart from the Hokage, you cannot have any contact with anyone else."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Senju Tobirama spoke up again to remind him, his serious expression not feigned.

"I naturally know. Before the mission is completed, I will not have any contact with anyone else."

Even so, the look of hesitation in Uchiha Madara's eyes was keenly captured by Senju Tobirama, that master of suspicion. He frowned slightly and spoke slowly.

"I'll give you three more days to consider. If you don't want to do this mission, we allow you to give it up."

"..."

This time, Uchiha Madara did not retort with a sharp tongue but lowered his head in silence, not knowing what he was considering.

"Let's go, Big Brother. It seems your Hokage's assistant will be resting for a few days, so you won't be able to slack off on work~"

Leaving three days should be enough for Uchiha Madara to consider. Senju Tobirama stood up and said to Senju Hashirama beside him.

"Uh, okay. Madara, take your time to think. I'll go get busy first. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."

Having said that, Senju Tobirama placed his hand on the worried-looking Senju Hashirama, and accompanied by a blue light, the two brothers disappeared from the spot.

"Big Cousin, you held that clan meeting too early~"

After the Senju brothers left, Uchiha Gin smacked his lips and patted the silent Uchiha Madara with deep emotion.

"Yeah..."

Uchiha Madara also felt a bit of regret. Why did his brain short-circuit, telling his clansmen that he was leaving? Now, even if it was a reasonable departure for a mission, in the eyes of the clansmen who didn't know the truth, he had become a selfish clan leader.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let's eat first~"

Not wanting to continue being a Monday-morning quarterback, Uchiha Gin stood up first and walked toward the gate of the backyard. Uchiha Madara sighed slightly in his heart and then followed; he was hungry too.

"What are we eating for lunch? Ramen?"

"I don't have much of an appetite. Just eat whatever."

"Then ramen it is. Wait for me to call Izuna too~"

The two brothers chatted about what to have for lunch and reached out to push open the heavy gate.

"Creak~"

However, the scene outside the door made Uchiha Madara, who was already in a low mood, feel his heart drop to the bottom of the valley.

In the corridor outside the door, it was packed with kneeling Uchiha clansmen. Little Cousin stood to the side, shaking his head and sighing helplessly; it was clear that he hadn't initiated this.

The clansmen kneeling on the ground waiting saw the gate open and instantly pressed their foreheads to the ground in unison, shouting with voices that were almost roars.

"Please, Clan Leader, do not leave!"

The sound was deafening, and the deep emotion contained within it pressed down on Uchiha Madara, making him unable to breathe. Looking down at the familiar faces one by one, he was momentarily shaken in his heart.

"Clan Leader! If you are going to leave, take us with you!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, instantly winning the agreement of the others.

"Without the Clan Leader, there is no Uchiha for us. We want to advance and retreat with the Clan Leader!"

He never expected that a single word of his could gain the support of so many clansmen. These clansmen would rather give up this hard-won peace than follow him. If Uchiha Madara said he wasn't moved, that would definitely be a lie.

"Quiet!"

Having gained the recognition of his clansmen, Uchiha Madara now had a decision in his heart. He could not let down the expectations his clansmen had for him. He would become the Tailed Beast Knight, he would defeat Hashirama fair and square, and he would make everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village acknowledge his name as Hokage with conviction.

"Clan Leader! We..."

"Quiet! Does my word as Clan Leader no longer count?"

Listening to the noisy shouts of the clansmen in his ears, Uchiha Madara shouted.

Intimidated by Uchiha Madara's power, these clansmen obediently shut their mouths.

Uchiha Madara nodded with satisfaction, a terrifying scarlet slowly emerging in his eyes. His cold gaze swept over the clansmen who were looking at him with expectation.

"Taking you burdens along will only delay my plans. Don't follow me; you'll die."

On the Nine-Tails' menu, braised descendant of Indra was a delicacy that ranked even higher than charcoal-grilled "Lao Da."

"Smack!"

Uchiha Gin, who had heard the whole thing from the side, slapped his forehead speechlessly, his dead-fish eyes filled with deep helplessness. If you don't know how to talk, just shut up.

"I must give Big Cousin a copy of 'The Art of Language' later and let him learn how to speak like a human!" (End of chapter)