Chapter 403: Bai Mao

"Master! I'll heal you right now!"

Shamon, whose face was as pale as gold paper, was dragged onto the spectator stand by Uchiha Gin. The moment he landed, Chiyo, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed over.

A deep green glow emerged from her fair, delicate palms. Rich life energy poured into Shamon's body in an endless stream, and his pale complexion began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Don't touch me! I can move on my own."

Uchiha Madara, whose own complexion was not particularly healthy, vaguely saw an inexplicable force reaching toward him with his Sharingan. He immediately frowned and refused.

"Come here, you~"

As the most fair and impartial organizer, Uchiha Gin naturally had to ensure equality for everyone. He directly activated the gravitational force of his Rinnegan, forcibly dragging his disgusted cousin over.

"I have an eight-o'clock class!"

Uchiha Madara landed while cursing, his blood-red eyes nearly spitting fire. He stared fixedly at the culprit, wishing he could eat his flesh raw.

To dare to make me look this pathetic—if I find out who you really are, I will definitely dig up your ancestral grave.

"Clan Leader, this is the healing potion my uncle gave me. You should quickly..."

Among the Konoha side waiting in the spectator stand, Uchiha Kagami, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed out with a stride, holding a 100ml bottle of mysterious red potion in his hands.

"Gulp~ gulp~ gulp~"

However, before he could arrive, a resentful Uchiha Madara had already beaten him to it. From his own storage scroll, he took out a 1L bottle of small red sweet water and tilted his head back to drink it down.

Seeing this scene, Uchiha Kagami stopped in embarrassment. After comparing the vast disparity between the healing potions, his old face flushed red, and he quietly tucked his own sample bottle into his sleeve.

"Ah~"

With the healing potion in his stomach, Uchiha Madara felt his whole body warm and very comfortable. The wounds on his back recovered much faster, and the unstable energy within his body also calmed down.

"How does it taste?"

Watching Uchiha Madara drink the healing potion he had gifted in one go, Uchiha Gin nodded secretly with satisfaction and asked with a hint of mockery.

"A bit sweet... Why should I answer you!?"

Licking his lips to savor the aftertaste, Uchiha Madara answered subconsciously upon hearing the familiar tone. When he realized the person asking was Brother Decade, his face turned black, and his tone became as foul as it could be.

"Phew~ Sorry for the trouble, Chiyo."

Under his disciple's meticulous treatment, Shamon, who had been pale just moments ago, was already able to stand. His large, glowing face was filled with deep apology.

Hearing this, Chiyo first wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, then shook her head lightly. She was already very satisfied with Shamon's performance.

"Master, please don't say that. You are the pride of the Hidden Sand Village."

"Just a little bit more..."

Although her disciple's words were full of comfort, Shamon still felt incredibly self-reproachful. If he could have held on for just a little longer, the final victor would have been him.

"If it weren't for that bizarre sealing technique."

On the other side, Uchiha Madara, who had recovered about seventy or eighty percent of his state, sat on the spectator stand with resentment. His gaze, carrying a chilling coldness, fell upon Jin Jiao not far away.

From the black sealing technique, Uchiha Madara smelled the pungent, sour stench of beef and the sticky ink, all of which told him exactly who its master was.

"Old Eight, he seems to be holding a grudge against you."

Feeling uncomfortable under Uchiha Madara's stare, Jin Jiao pretended not to notice and whispered to Gyuki in his consciousness space.

"It has nothing to do with me; it was all the Nine-Tails' doing!"

Gyuki could feel the chilling Yin-void coldness in Uchiha Madara's eyes. It shivered in fear, its expression becoming somewhat cowardly, and then it betrayed the gloating big fox without any psychological burden.

"Why haven't you announced the result yet? Who is the final victor?"

Senju Tobirama frowned and approached Uchiha Gin. Without beating around the bush, he directly asked the question everyone was concerned about.

"I thought you just looked old, but I didn't expect your ears to be bad too. Didn't you hear what I said just now? Both of them are out~"

Uchiha Gin tilted his head, looking at the solemn-faced Senju Tobirama with interest. His voice was not loud, but it fell steadily into everyone's ears.

"Ah! It was clearly that raccoon-head who fell first."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, the Konoha side stood out first, indignantly filing an appeal.

"Nonsense, Master dispelled his transformation 0.01 seconds slower than him. Master should be the winner!"

Although Chiyo was only one person, her momentum was no weaker than the F6.

The purple-haired girl lifted her chin, hands on her hips, fully displaying the sassy style unique to the Land of Wind.

"You're full of it!"

"What face do you have to speak, you big-bottomed pervert!"

"Woooo..."

Shimura Danzo, out~

"We have no grudges, why not turn hostility into..."

"A guy whose very bones reek of hypocrisy—I feel disgusted just talking to you for one more sentence."

"You... I..."

"Next."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, out~

"I have one thing to say, I don't know if I should..."

"Curly-haired sissy, shut up."

Uchiha Kagami, out~

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Chiyo crossed her arms, looking down at the defeated F6 with the posture of a victor. Her beautiful face was filled with disdain.

"That's it? That's it?"

"I am a paramecium."

Among them, Danzo, whose Dao heart had collapsed due to the vicious personal attacks, turned gray-white. He curled up in a corner with his hands around his knees, his eyes filled with a faint sense of death.

"Do you still look like Konoha people with this ghostly appearance!? All of you, get some spirit, don't lose face!"

Uchiha Madara, as a participant in the match, frowned slightly. Looking at the Konoha rising stars who had been sprayed down by a single mouth, his tone carried a sense of "hate that iron doesn't become steel."

"But... Clan Leader, you clearly should have won!"

Uchiha Kagami raised his head with a bitter face.

"If you didn't stand until the end, you aren't the victor."

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Madara took it quite well. He shook his head; although there was regret in his eyes, there was more calmness. If he lost, he lost; he wasn't a petty Bai Mao.

"If everyone is eliminated, doesn't that mean there is no victor? Then what is this competition? A game?"

Senju Tobirama did not buy Uchiha Gin's answer. His older brother was still waiting for them to return and save him; how could they easily give up this victory that should have belonged to them?

"The Knight Battle was a game to begin with, but it is true that it's a bit unjustifiable that everyone was eliminated."

Uchiha Gin nodded, directly admitting that this thrilling life-and-death battle was just a farce he had directed. However, looking at his cousin who had worked hard through the whole process, he couldn't help but feel a touch of compassion.

"That's right, hurry up and fulfill your promise."

Seeing Uchiha Gin's tone soften, Senju Tobirama's eyes lit up, and he immediately demanded the prize.

"Hold your horses! I never said I was giving out awards."

"Then give me a straight answer, I'm in a hurry."

"Good grief, why are the Bai Mao of today getting more and more impatient~"

Shaking his head, a sighing Uchiha Gin rested his chin on his hands, his tone becoming slightly serious.

"Although I cannot directly help you realize your wishes, I can tell you how to realize your wishes."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. After a long while, they came to their senses, and their expressions became extremely strange. Senju Tobirama frowned and asked tentatively.

"You mean, you want to teach us how to realize our wishes?"

"Bingo! This is called, 'do it yourself and have plenty of food and clothing'~"

"Wait a moment, let us discuss this."

After exchanging glances with his disciples, Senju Tobirama did not speak rashly. He turned and returned to the spectator stand, finding Uchiha Madara, who was bowing his head in silence.

Although the two did not get along, they still had to coordinate in the face of major issues.

"Hey, let's discuss how to ask so we can more accurately know the correct method to save Big Brother."

"."

"What do you mean? Speak up!"

"Oh?"

Awakened by Senju Tobirama's furious voice, a dazed Uchiha Madara raised his head. Seeing the Bai Mao exuding unfriendly energy before him, he subconsciously reached for the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

"I'm discussing serious business with you, what are you spacing out for?"

Senju Tobirama lowered his finger in displeasure. If Uchiha Madara didn't pay attention to him again, the Flying Thunder God Slash would make a comeback.

"I was doing serious business just now."

Uchiha Madara curled his lips.

"Please find a more normal excuse, okay?"

"It's true. I was interrogating the Nine-Tails just now. This beast has caused me no end of trouble; I have to interrogate it properly."

Rarely not bickering with Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Madara spread his hands and answered very frankly.

"Uh... that is indeed serious business. You go ahead, I'll come find you later. Remember not to break it; that is the village's property."

"Master! What are you planning to ask?"

On the other side, Chiyo, having learned there was a consolation prize, excitedly asked Shamon, who was meditating with his eyes closed. Her beautiful eyes were full of brilliance, and her little mouth didn't stop chattering.

"Are you going to ask him how to become the strongest in the Ninja World, or how to live forever and keep your youth?"

"Phew~ those are all too ethereal. As a teacher, I want to ask about something more practical."

Slowly opening his eyes, Shamon exhaled a breath of turbid air. Light swirled in his eyes; it seemed he had long since decided what he wanted to ask.

After a while, the Konoha side also discussed what they wanted to ask. A group of people walked over in a team.

Shamon and Chiyo had long been waiting on the side. Uchiha Gin sat in the highest position, overlooking the people with different expressions, and spoke slowly.

"Who's first?"

"I'll go first."

Shamon stood out first. His firm, bald head and his gaze were as resolute as ever.

"Come on, tell me about the wish you want to realize."

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow. Shamon was an old acquaintance of his; he would certainly tell him everything he knew.

"May I ask, how can the Hidden Sand Village realize financial freedom?"

After pondering for a moment, Shamon slowly stated the wish he wanted to realize.

"!!!"

People nearby who were eavesdropping had their expressions turn strange instantly. They wished they could stick their ears right in front of Uchiha Gin. This was a 100% wealth-building scripture; hearing it was earning it.

"Are you sure you only want to realize such a simple wish?"

Uchiha Gin's expression was somewhat complex. He had thought Shamon would ask some more selfish questions, like how to become the strongest in the Ninja World or how to live forever, but it turned out to be for the village.

"That's right."

Shamon nodded fiercely without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright, come closer, I'll tell you the answer."

Sighing slightly, Uchiha Gin calculated the time in his heart, then beckoned to Shamon.

"******** Alright, the answer is this."

Whispering a short sentence in Shamon's ear, Uchiha Gin straightened his body and signaled for the other party to leave.

"Are you sure you aren't lying?"

Shamon's brows furrowed deeply. His mung-bean-sized eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Honest and fair~"

"Alright, I'll believe you for now."

"Did you hear clearly?"

"No, he spoke too quietly."

"Six years later..."

Just as everyone was whispering to each other about whether they had stolen any information, Kakuzu, sitting not far away, had eyes full of doubt. Trying his best to eavesdrop, he only vaguely heard the words "six years later."

"Thank you, Brother Decade. Chiyo, we should go back."

After Shamon received an answer he wasn't quite sure about, he didn't linger. After thanking Uchiha Gin, he disappeared into the overcast rain with his disciple.

"Master, what exactly did Brother Decade say?"

After the master and disciple had walked a long distance, Chiyo couldn't help but ask her teacher. She also really wanted to know what the method was that could allow the Hidden Sand Village to realize wealth.

"After we go back, have the village's family planning department increase their publicity efforts. In the next few years, we must have more births."

Not answering Chiyo's question, Shamon instead gave a strange order, leaving the girl confused.

"Is there any necessary connection between having children and getting rich?"

"Six years from now, a golden doll will be born in the Hidden Sand Village. He will bring us endless wealth."

"It's your turn."

Uchiha Gin turned his head and looked at the silent Senju Tobirama.

"We want to ask, how can we realize the wish of restoring Senju Hashirama to health?"

As soon as Senju Tobirama's words left his mouth, everyone except those from Konoha was shocked. One had to know that Senju Hashirama was the world-renowned God of Shinobi. He had been executing high-difficulty missions just a while ago and was in great shape; how could he have collapsed after only a few days?

"Asking about this, huh? Come here."

Looking at the cold-faced Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Gin smiled and crooked his finger.

"*******"

"Say that again!"

"*******"

"Everyone, let's go together and take down this liar!"

Hearing the answer, Senju Tobirama was full of indignation. His ten fingers danced wildly, and violent space energy condensed around him.

"Swish~"

But before he could determine to release his ultimate move, the Flying Thunder God Slash, Uchiha Gin, who was in front of him, suddenly disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was already standing behind him, a slender finger pressed against the back of his white head.

"Are you questioning me?"

Uchiha Gin tilted his head and spoke with a hint of a smile.

"Who would believe your nonsense? The doctor said it himself, my brother's state is extremely poor, and it won't be long before he..."

"Before he what?"

"Before he... Uchiha Madara, you say it."

Sensing the terrifying energy leaking from the fingertip pressed against the back of his head, Senju Tobirama tactically chickened out, his tone softening quite a bit. Facing Uchiha Gin's questioning, he even chose to shift the blame.

"Before he... before he what was it? I left before I heard the end of it~"

Receiving the question, Uchiha Madara's expression gradually turned from solemn to doubtful. It seemed he had set off a bit too rashly; he should have learned more about Hashirama's condition.

"See, that's it~"

Lowering his finger, Uchiha Gin's figure flashed, and he sat back in his original position. Resting his chin on one hand, his voice was filled with mockery.

"I'm going back to the village first!"

Hearing this, Senju Tobirama gritted his teeth fiercely, waved to his disciples who didn't know the truth behind him, and left first.

"Master!?"

The abandoned F6 and Uchiha Madara looked at each other in dismay. What exactly was the answer? You should at least reveal a little bit to us!

"Action!"

The Gin-Kin brothers, who had been monitoring Senju Tobirama's movements, immediately stood up. After greeting Uchiha Gin unobtrusively, they turned into two bolts of lightning and disappeared from the spot.

"We are also taking our leave. I hope we can have a satisfying fight next time."

Kakuzu and the Mako family were also leaving. Before leaving, Mako found Uchiha Madara, squeezed her little fist, and issued a challenge full of fighting spirit.

"Anytime."

Uchiha Madara had felt a bit of regret for not having a formal fight with this woman who resembled Hashirama. Now that she had said this, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Mako! Hurry up, we've packed everything~"

Not far away, Seeing Shenhuo, carrying an insulated box of milk tea, shouted at Mako.

"Coming, coming~"

After the bystanders left, Uchiha Madara once again sought out Uchiha Gin, who was sitting in the high position. Looking at the blue-red rabbit knight who was full of mystery, he spoke slowly.

"No matter who you are or what your goal is, I hope you don't go looking for trouble with Uchiha Gin. Otherwise, even if I die, I will bite off a piece of your flesh."

"???"

He had thought his cousin had come to ask for a cheat, but he didn't expect a single sentence to leave Uchiha Gin completely bewildered. His current persona had no connection to his main body; why would he look for trouble?

"Although you are from the same sect, Uchiha Gin is not some genius, and the tools he makes won't threaten you, so..."

Watching Uchiha Madara, whose tone had suddenly softened, Uchiha Gin finally understood why his cousin had said that.

It turned out his cousin had just been overthinking things.

In the persona Uchiha Gin had established, he was the junior brother of Brother Decade whom he had never met. Both were disciples of the hermit master, Master Bandai, and had learned a mysterious ninja tool development technique.

His cousin was worried that Brother Decade would kill Uchiha Gin, who also mastered core technology, for the sake of technical patents.

"Heh heh heh, are you talking about that waste junior brother of mine I've never met? A guy who isn't even a Knight, he has no qualifications to enter my eyes."

Having figured out the reason, Uchiha Gin channeled his inner actor. After laughing sinisterly like an elder of the Soul Hall, he used an extremely disdainful tone to clearly separate his main body from his persona.

"I will keep an eye on you."

Uchiha Madara stared with scarlet eyes, looking straight at Uchiha Gin as if confirming the truth of his words. After a long while, he left behind a sentence and took the F6 away from the arena.

Thus, the first Knight Battle came to an end.

"It's a pity to dismantle this stage; let's keep it for next time~"

Uchiha Gin stood up, looking at the empty battlefield. After flying into the sky, he pressed his hands downward. The repulsion of the Rinnegan took effect, and the huge stage was pressed into the inland lake, waiting for the next restart.

"Alright~ next, I have to go see how the Bai Mao is suffering~"

After finishing his work, Uchiha Gin clapped his hands. Remembering there was still a good show he hadn't seen, he immediately expanded his super-perception to search for the familiar aura.

Sure enough, he discovered the auras of Senju Tobirama and the Gin-Kin brothers at the border of the Land of Rain.

"Have they already been arrested? Then I have to be quick, or I'll miss the good show~"

Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up. Following the aura, he performed the Flying Thunder God Technique. Accompanied by a flash of golden light, his whole person disappeared from the spot.

The next moment, golden light flashed in a canyon a hundred miles away. Uchiha Gin's figure landed on the top of a cliff. Looking down, he could just see the unfriendly Gin-Kin brothers rubbing their hands and closing in on a Bai Mao.

"What do you want to do?"

Senju Tobirama, who had gone ahead alone, had keenly discovered someone tracking him after running for hundreds of miles.

So he quickened his pace, preparing to enter the Land of Fire earlier, but he was still one step behind and was caught up by the Gin-Kin brothers at the border of the Land of Rain.

"What do we want to do? You Bai Mao, you're playing dumb, aren't you?"

Gin Kaku cracked his knuckles, the hatred overflowing in his eyes making Senju Tobirama frown.

It was all the curly-haired guy's fault for letting these two remnants of the Hagoromo clan go. If he had known, he would have cut the weeds and pulled out the roots back then.

"Don't waste your breath on him, catch him first and use extreme humiliation on him."

Kin Kaku waved his hand to stop his younger brother from wasting more words. Looking at Senju Tobirama with hatred in his eyes, he licked his lips and took out a huge pair of pliers from the storage scroll on his back.

"Hmph, I don't have time to waste with you right now."

Senju Tobirama snorted disdainfully. He was in a hurry to go back and verify Uchiha Gin's answer to see if his brother's state had recovered.

If it was really as Uchiha Gin said, and Senju Hashirama would wake up within ten days, that would be cause for celebration.

But if his brother's situation got worse and worse, he would definitely make the hateful Brother Decade pay the price.

"I'm leaving first, you two muscle-heads can play slowly... Huh?"

Lifting his finger, a blue light flashed on Senju Tobirama's body; it was the precursor to releasing the Flying Thunder God Technique. But before he could finish speaking, the blue light of the Flying Thunder God instantly dimmed and then disappeared directly.

"Fly! Fly for me!"

Senju Tobirama tried many times, only to find that his perception seemed to have a problem; he couldn't lock onto the pre-set Flying Thunder God marks. Finally, he lowered his finger with a gloomy face, his gaze falling on the smiling Gin-Kin brothers.

"Did you two play a trick?"

"Heh heh, in order to target you, our brothers have been preparing for a long time."

Gin Kaku sneered a few times, his face revealing a very satisfied expression. Years of preparation had finally not been in vain; the expensive perception interference technique had finally come in handy.

"You have made two mistakes so far."

Looking at the incredibly arrogant Gin-Kin brothers, Senju Tobirama took a deep breath to calm his mood. A light of unknown meaning flashed in his eyes, and then he drew the short sword from his waist.

"First, what I am best at is not space-time ninjutsu."

Blue water currents condensed out of thin air, compressed into a rotating vortex, and then wrapped around the tip of the blade. The rich water-attribute chakra made the Gin-Kin brothers frown.

Just as the Gin-Kin brothers were attracted by Senju Tobirama's exquisite Water Style, the despicable Bai Mao quickly reached into the backpack behind his waist, took out a signal flare, and pulled it without hesitation.

"Shoo! Crackle!"

"Second, I am a ninja, not a brute. If I can call for help, why would I fight alone?" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 404 =====