Chapter 425: The Brainless and the Unhappy

Seeing Tsunade's absent-minded appearance when answering, Kato Dan, who was more delicate among the group, asked softly.

"Tsunade, did you encounter something?"

The gazes of the others were also attracted. As classmates who spent time together, they naturally discovered that Tsunade's state recently wasn't quite right.

"Ha~ Dan, you're overthinking it. Tsunade can drink Mixue Bingcheng until she's full every day, how could she have any worries."

However, there are always some people who are born to like courting death. As luck would have it, Jiraiya was one of them.

"Thump!"

Everyone only felt a blur before their eyes. Jiraiya, who was just arrogant a moment ago, actually disappeared into thin air. The milk tea that lost its owner fell from mid-air, but fortunately, it was caught by Might Dai, who had quick eyes and fast hands.

"Jiraiya, if you dare to call me that nickname again, I'll tear that big mouth of yours apart!"

Tsunade, with anger on her face, gritted her teeth and slowly lowered her smoking fist, glaring at Jiraiya, who was embedded in the wall, with her watery big eyes. Her small face, full of collagen, was full of shame and anger.

So what if I'm flat?

Have you ever seen a woman of the Senju clan who was small?

"Jiraiya!!!"

Looking at Jiraiya, who was embedded in the wall with his mouth open and eyes closed, Moro screamed and ran over to save him. However, with his small arms and legs, he simply couldn't pick his childhood friend out of the wall.

"You guys hurry up and help!"

Moro's small face was flushed red, and tears were swirling in his eye sockets from anxiety. Orochimaru, who witnessed all this, seemed to have become accustomed to it and didn't have any intention of wanting to help. Kato Dan also had a look of wanting to cry but laughing.

"Sigh... really, this guy Jiraiya, how come he just won't learn."

Seeing that the others were indifferent, Hatake Sakumo, who had a softer heart, sighed and stood up. Shaking his head, he waved to Might Dai beside him.

"Dai, give me a hand, pick this idiot out."

"Coming!"

Under Moro's grateful gaze, the two, who had rolled up their sleeves, rescued Jiraiya, who was rolling his eyes.

"Jiraiya~"

"This..."

Hatake Sakumo, who had finished his daily mission, looked up at the abrupt hole in the clean wall of the shop, his brow furrowing slightly.

Their group was originally here to freeload drinks from Mixue Bingcheng. Now that they had blatantly destroyed the environment in someone else's shop, it was somewhat unreasonable in both emotion and reason.

"Tap... tap... tap."

Glancing at a shop assistant who was slowly walking toward them, Hatake Sakumo rubbed his temples with a headache.

How should he explain it to the shop assistant?

"You guys..."

The purple-haired woman wearing a shop assistant uniform walked up to the few children. Her black eyes swept across their faces and finally stayed on Tsunade, who had an indignant face. There was a bit more playfulness in her eyes.

Feeling the air around them stagnate, the small faces of the children, except for Tsunade, had a few more points of panic.

"Sorry! We didn't mean it!"

Even without performing the Perception Jutsu, Hatake Sakumo, who was naturally sensitive to aura, felt unprecedented pressure from this purple-haired woman. So, before the other party could finish speaking, he first gave a 90-degree bow to show sincerity.

"Oh?"

The purple-haired shop assistant raised her eyebrows lightly and shifted her gaze to the little white-haired boy who was bowing.

"This shouldn't be what you did, right? Why are you apologizing?"

"But they are all my companions..."

The purple-haired shop assistant's voice was unexpectedly gentle, not as cold as they had imagined. Hatake Sakumo swallowed his saliva and explained tremblingly.

"Never abandon, never give up, this is my Ninja Way."

"Truly worthy of being my lifelong rival, Sakumo, my youth will definitely not let you down!"

Watching Hatake Sakumo say the most rigid words with the most cowardly expression, Might Dai was moved to tears on the spot. Kato Dan and Orochimaru's eyes moved slightly, full of inexplicable looks.

"Sakumo, I thank you on behalf of Jiraiya!"

Moro, who was taking care of the unconscious Jiraiya, was also so excited that his small face was flushed red.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been baked to this point, the several children who were moved to tears were almost about to swear brotherhood on the spot holding straws.

As a result, this beautiful scene was ruthlessly broken by an impatient voice.

"You guys, what kind of bond-themed play are you rehearsing here?"

Tsunade, who was holding milk tea and gulping it down, rolled her beautiful big eyes until only the whites were left. Her cute little face was full of disgust.

After complaining about her classmates, she turned her head, looked at the purple-haired shop assistant, and revealed a sweet smile.

"Sister Uchiha Zhili, how come you have time to come to the shop today?"

"Mr. Gin asked me to rest for a few days. It just so happened that there was nothing to do, so I came to the shop to take a look."

A gentle smile hung on her cold corners of her mouth. Uchiha Uchiha Zhili patted Tsunade's little head and explained softly.

Because Uchiha Uchiha Zhili had been training too hard on the moon, Uchiha Gin, who couldn't bear to watch it anymore, forcibly ordered her to rest for a period of time, instructing his disciple that work and rest combined could lead to long-term development.

Hoo...

So it was an acquaintance.

Seeing the scene of Tsunade interacting intimately with the purple-haired shop assistant, the remaining children let out a long sigh of relief, with an expression of relief.

"Scared me to death, Tsunade, why didn't you say earlier that this person is your acquaintance."

"Who told you to kneel so fast? I didn't even have time to say hello before you started apologizing."

Facing Hatake Sakumo's questioning, Tsunade curled her lips in disdain, but there was a thick smile in her eyes.

If I had said it, would I still be able to see such an interesting scene?

"Little Gang, your classmates are quite interesting."

Uchiha Uchiha Zhili also had a smile in her eyes. She hadn't seen such an interesting show for a long time.

"It's alright, they're quite good at teasing."

Nodding seriously, Tsunade beckoned to her classmates and introduced them.

"This sister is the future Executive Director of Mixue Bingcheng, and also the only closed-door disciple of Grandpa Gin."

"Hello everyone, I am Uchiha Uchiha Zhili."

Smiling and nodding to the children, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili withdrew her aura and became an ordinary person who looked harmless to humans and animals.

Upon hearing Uchiha Uchiha Zhili's identity, the expressions on the children's faces were incredibly wonderful.

They had actually met the behind-the-scenes boss of Mixue Bingcheng. You know, Mixue Bingcheng had now opened in every corner of the ninja world, and its daily turnover was no less than the annual income of a country.

However, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili's other identity also aroused the curiosity of the children.

"Sister, you are actually Grandpa Gin's disciple, even though you look so young."

Uchiha Gin was a person of the generation of the First Hokage's brother. No matter how you looked at it, his disciple's age wouldn't be that small. So, looking at Uchiha Uchiha Zhili's paper age of around twenty, they couldn't help but ask.

"Do you know what a woman's biggest secret is?"

Without answering the children's innocent question, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili, with her eyes narrowed, held a finger to her mouth and made a "shh" gesture.

"What is it?"

The children immediately pricked up their ears, listening attentively.

"Age~"

Releasing a wisp of the aura she had just restrained, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili, with a belly-black face, decided to give these children who stepped on a mine an unforgettable memory.

"Ah!"

Captured by the terrifying aura, the children felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, and they all hugged their shoulders to barely stop their bodies from trembling.

"Ding-ling~"

"Give me a lemon water, extra ice, double sugar~"

Just then, a lazy voice sounded in the shop. After hearing the familiar voice, the expression on Uchiha Uchiha Zhili's face changed, and the released aura instantly disappeared without a trace.

"Mr. Gin~"

Uchiha Uchiha Zhili had a charming smile on her face and waved to Uchiha Gin, who had just entered the shop.

"Eh? Little Uchiha Zhili, didn't I tell you to go home and rest?"

Uchiha Gin, who was skipping work to buy little sweet water, looked at Uchiha Uchiha Zhili wearing the shop assistant uniform, his face full of confusion.

"I couldn't stay idle at home either. It just so happened that a shop assistant asked for leave today, so I came to cover for half a day."

Walking gracefully to Uchiha Gin, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili patiently explained to him why she was here.

"Sure enough, Little Uchiha Zhili is still that Little Uchiha Zhili."

Recalling the scene of his first meeting with Uchiha Uchiha Zhili, Uchiha Gin nodded with emotion.

Little Uchiha Zhili is truly a diligent child. Being her father is truly a blessing accumulated over eight lifetimes.

"Grandpa Gin, hello!"

Tsunade and the others also politely stepped forward to say hello.

Uchiha Gin looked down at the strange-looking children, and a warm smile immediately hung on his face.

"Children, Sashiburi~"

"Grandpa Gin, I have something I want to ask you."

Finally meeting an elder to whom she could pour out her heart, Tsunade's slightly furrowed brow gradually stretched out. Uchiha Gin nodded upon seeing this and sat down naturally at the children's table.

"Mr. Gin, once the lemon water is made, I will send it over to you."

Since there was still work to do, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili had to give up joining the discussion and got up to get busy in the shop.

"Youth is good, they fall asleep as soon as they disagree."

Turning his head to look at Jiraiya, who was unconscious, Uchiha Gin had an envious expression, directly ignoring the conspicuous big bump on the other party's head.

"Don't mind him, who told this guy to talk nonsense!"

Glaring fiercely at Jiraiya, Tsunade turned her head and looked at Uchiha Gin with eyes like torches.

"Did something happen?"

Uchiha Gin looked at little Tsunade with great interest.

"It's Big Grandpa and Second Grandpa. Recently, for some reason, not only do they not play with me, but they also don't sleep all night long. Grandma is so worried~"

Little Tsunade pouted her little face, indignantly accusing the Senju brothers of neglecting their family.

"Ha?"

His brow furrowed slightly. Uchiha Gin's keen intuition told him that there must be a big story here.

The Senju brothers are weird!

"Don't just be angry, tell me the specific situation."

"Usually, Big Grandpa and Second Grandpa would play with me in the training ground for a while after work."

"Play for a while? Play what?"

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's confused expression, little Tsunade stood up immediately, raised her small fist wrapped in super strength, and gestured with the wind.

"Okay, I can, I know."

Refusing little Tsunade's invitation to practice, Uchiha Gin flashed a look of thought in his eyes.

"Continue."

"They also don't sleep or rest. Grandma urged Big Grandpa to go to bed several times, but he didn't move at all, just kept saying there were accounts that hadn't been calculated."

There isn't even basic marital life. It seems something really happened.

The Senju brothers active in Konoha are likely not human.

Clone: Are you polite?

"Then they didn't say anything to you?"

Uchiha Gin asked while rubbing his chin.

"Uh... Big Grandpa said he was really too busy and wanted to find me a teacher."

"Teacher? Yes, it's about time."

Uchiha Gin, who was still a bit confused, suddenly discovered that Tsunade was no longer the little brat she used to be, and the Ninja Academy couldn't teach her anything anymore.

"In short, Big Grandpa and Second Grandpa have problems. Grandpa Gin, help me think of a way~"

Pouting her little mouth, Tsunade grabbed Uchiha Gin's sleeve and acted like a spoiled child.

"Alright, alright, I know. I'll go help you check it out later."

Patting Tsunade's head comfortingly, Uchiha Gin shifted his gaze to Uchiha Uchiha Zhili, who was walking over slowly. Looking at the orange-yellow lemon water in her hand, saliva began to overflow in his mouth.

"Mr. Gin, your lemon water~"

"Sorry to trouble you, Little Uchiha Zhili."

Smiling, he took the lemon water, turned his hand to insert the straw, and took a big sip.

"Slurp~ Slurp~ Slurp... Pfft!"

However, the lemon water that entered his mouth wasn't the sweet and greasy one Uchiha Gin imagined, but a sourness that penetrated to the bone. With a bitter face, he looked up and saw Uchiha Uchiha Zhili's face full of teasing smiles.

"Little Uchiha Zhili, it's you!"

"Sorry, Mr. Gin, your sugar quota for this month has already..."

Seeing Uchiha Gin looking at her, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili immediately restrained her smile, straightened her little face, and explained seriously.

"Hoo-hoo... hoo."

Never did he expect that at his age, he would still be backstabbed by his disciple. Uchiha Gin, who was so angry that he stroked his chest, couldn't help but shed sad tears. But compared to lemon water without sugar, what was this bit of bitterness?

After saying goodbye to the children, Uchiha Gin didn't choose to go back to the unit to slack off, but instead strolled slowly toward the Hokage building.

On the way, he guessed what kind of tricks the Senju brothers were up to. Not playing super-strength rock-paper-scissors with Tsunade, not sleeping in the same bed as his wife—all these behaviors revealed a terrifying reality.

"They wouldn't be using clones to slack off too, right?"

With strange thoughts, Uchiha Gin finally arrived at the Hokage building. The guards at the door could be considered familiar faces, and they let him in without any obstruction.

Passing through the gorgeous corridor and walking up the rotating stairs, before long, Uchiha Gin, who had been unimpeded all the way, stood at the door of the Hokage's office.

Bang, bang, bang~

"Come in."

Uchiha Gin frowned upon hearing this. Although this was Senju Hashirama's voice, it was somewhat lacking in energy.

Creak~

"Gin Big Brother? What wind blew you here?"

Senju Hashirama, who was busy processing documents, revealed a brilliant smile after seeing the familiar curly hair. Uchiha Gin nodded at him, which counted as a greeting.

"You curly-haired guy, skipping work again?"

Senju Tobirama, sitting in another corner, looked at Uchiha Gin, who was running around during work hours, and questioned him coldly.

"Hashirama in the dungeon, I came to inquire about the retirement of grassroots ninjas."

Without paying attention to the annoying white-haired guy, Uchiha Gin said the excuse he had thought of in advance, but secretly opened his super-strong perception.

"Oh, oh, oh, this matter, let me think about it."

Senju Hashirama, sitting on the Hokage's seat, nodded busily, frowned, and tried hard to recall.

This bit of chakra, clone without a doubt!

Taking advantage of this gap, Uchiha Gin's perception swept over, and he really discovered the secret of the Senju brothers' clones on the spot, but his face didn't show any expression.

"Sorry, Gin Big Brother, regarding this question, we haven't discussed a result yet, please wait a few more days."

"It's fine, if you guys are busy, then be busy. Notify me when there is news."

Uchiha Gin, who wasn't here to inquire about this matter anyway, nodded and then turned and left very smoothly.

After Uchiha Gin left, Senju Tobirama in the corner raised his head, a trace of imperceptible fatigue hidden deep in his eyes.

"Big Brother, why don't we take turns? If this continues, both of our clones will collapse."

"I can still move! But Tobirama, you are indeed out of practice. It's only been a few days, and you're already starting to retreat."

Senju Hashirama straightened his face and began to educate his younger brother who wanted to be lazy. He was as strong as an Eight-Tails, and he didn't feel any fatigue at all.

"You have the nerve to say that. If I hadn't been flying all the time, how could the missions have been done so fast?"

Looking at Senju Hashirama, who was killing the donkey after it had finished grinding, Senju Tobirama was furious. He was the backbone of their combination. Without him, it would be impossible for the two to be this fast.

"Alright, the money is almost enough, we can complete the mission!"

Senju Hashirama probably felt he had indeed said the wrong thing, and a brilliant smile hung on his face again, holding up the bill full of red lines to Senju Tobirama.

"Hoo... finally don't have to run around anymore!"

Looking at the gradually filled hole, Senju Tobirama's hanging heart finally fell.

For nearly a month, the brothers didn't even dare to sleep for too long. As soon as they closed their eyes and opened them, they started searching for the targets on the bounty list day and night.

Among them, Senju Tobirama was responsible for finding people, and Senju Hashirama was responsible for convincing people with virtue.

In the end, through their unremitting efforts to brush orders, the two finally leveled the accounts to less than a hundred billion, and they could soon fill the loss from being cheated back then.

"If we don't end it, we'll be exposed."

Senju Hashirama shook his head, looking terrified. Although he was a Wood Clone that was much sturdier than a Shadow Clone, he was also afraid of heavy blows. Little Tsunade's super-strength punch was not easy to deal with. A slight carelessness and he could be beaten to pieces.

Not to mention Momoka's secret invitation. If he really went, he estimated he would be crushed in the first round.

"Hope the main body is fine~"

The two clones prayed secretly and then entered the working state again.

Just when the clones were working hard in the glamorous office, the Senju brothers, who formed the combination, stood in front of an Exchange Shop, carrying a string of storage scrolls, all of which were their mission items.

"Tobirama, if you really can't hold on, let me go alone."

Senju Hashirama, who had transformed into a decadent middle-aged curly-haired man, looked at Senju Tobirama, who was exuding decadence, with a worried face.

In this month, the number of times Senju Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was more than all his previous decades combined. Gasping slightly for breath, he gritted his teeth and refused.

"Don't worry about me, I can still fly!"

Their combination, if it lacked Senju Tobirama, the efficiency would definitely be greatly reduced.

"Tap... tap."

Just as the brothers were comforting each other, a figure wearing a pointed cloak walked out of the Exchange Shop. Judging from the other party's steady aura, he was by no means weak.

"You... you are the duo that has been in the limelight recently?"

Similarly, Kakuzu, who came out of the Exchange Shop, was also attracted by the two at the door. After a rough perception, his emerald-green eyeballs shrank slightly, as if he recognized the Senju brothers' vest.

"That's right, we are..."

"I didn't expect the famous Hunter Knight Sword? Would also come to such a remote Exchange Shop."

Interrupting Senju Hashirama, who had a smug face, Senju Tobirama's facial muscles twitched unnaturally, and he stared at Kakuzu who appeared.

"Hehe, compared to your combination, what am I now?"

"You say so, Brainless."

Kakuzu's gaze passed over Senju Tobirama, who had a fierce expression, and landed on Senju Hashirama, who had a hearty smile, his tone filled with inexplicable meaning.

"Haha, you guy, you aren't as hard to get along with as the people in the Exchange Shop said~"

Senju Hashirama laughed, and the vigilance in his eyes toward Kakuzu lessened a bit.

In the several Exchange Shops they had been to before, they were all complaining about the Hunter Knight Sword being hard to get along with. As a result, upon the first meeting, the other party left a not-bad impression on Senju Hashirama.

"Idiot, didn't you hear he was making fun of you?"

Senju Tobirama, who was as careful as a hair, how could he not hear the subtext in Kakuzu's words? He gritted his teeth and knocked on his Big Brother's head.

"Ha! Is there?"

"When did I make fun of the two of you, Unhappy."

"Slap!"

Kakuzu blinked innocently, looking at the broken bricks under Senju Tobirama's feet, and for a moment he was a bit confused.

He was just simply trying to build a relationship with the super real newcomers, thinking about cooperating to earn money in the future, how did he provoke the one-eyed dragon with fierce eyes to be full of hostility toward him?

"Everyone is just trying to earn a living in this line of work, there's no need to make things unpleasant."

As one of the largest gray industries in the ninja world, bounty hunters have actually been surviving in the cracks.

The Exchange Shop also doesn't hope for too many conflicts between bounty hunters, delaying their progress in making money. Reasonable competition is acceptable, but killing for no reason is strictly prohibited.

"You guy, still quibbling, always mentioning that ridiculous nickname there, if that's not provocation, what is?"

Forcing himself to endure the urge to raise his finger, Senju Tobirama said hatefully.

If there was anything Senju Tobirama regretted, besides not stealing Uchiha Izuna's kidney at the Naka River back then, it was only the matter of the nickname he had just mentioned not long ago.

If the Sage of Six Paths could give him another chance, he would definitely consider the naming matter carefully, instead of just picking a randomly generated nickname for the sake of saving money.

"Ridiculous nickname?"

Hearing this, Kakuzu blinked in confusion, touched his increasingly pointed head, and opened his mouth very sincerely.

"I don't think the two of you's nicknames are inappropriate, but rather feel they are very fitting~" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 426 =====