Chapter 433

Just as the handover ceremony that all parties were looking forward to was about to begin, the Senju brothers hiding in the Hokage's office were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Senju Tobirama paced back and forth in the spacious office with his hands behind his back, his face full of worry.

And Senju Hashirama, who was about to serve as one of the protagonists of the handover ceremony, was also wearing a look of trepidation at this moment, pulling at the Hokage haori on his body with slight unease.

Looking at his brother who was burning with anxiety, the wood clone carefully raised his hand: "Tobirama, why don't I dispel myself and pass the message to the main body?"

"Something's wrong. How could my shadow clone not urge Big Brother to return to the village?"

The fact that Senju Hashirama hadn't returned was just one point Senju Tobirama was worried about.

But what made Senju Tobirama feel even more uneasy now was that the shadow clones he had sent out were not acting according to his orders.

"Chirp~"

"Poof!"

"Snap!"

Among the crowd outside the building, Uchiha clan members who had come spontaneously were performing Fire Style fireworks. Countless fire dragons and fire phoenixes rose up, and the red light filling the sky shone through the window onto Senju Tobirama's pale face, appearing exceptionally gloomy.

Bang, bang, bang~

"Lord First, Lord Secretary, the ceremony is about to begin!"

Just as Senju Tobirama was hesitating, the ninja who came to notify them knocked on the office door.

Phew~

Senju Tobirama let out a long sigh. Things had reached this point; he could only muddle through for now.

"Big Brother, let's just muddle through the handover ceremony first."

"Ah! I'm worried that Madara will see through the flaws."

The wood clone's expression tightened. When he was split out initially, it wasn't said that he needed to add drama, right?

"Rest assured, his Eternal Mangekyou cannot see through Big Brother's wood clone."

Senju Hashirama's wood clone had indeed withstood the test of history and had successfully deceived Uchiha Madara in other timelines.

"Alright, alright, after finishing this job, can I consider my mission accomplished?"

The wood clone scratched the back of his head. His initial mission was just to temporarily replace Senju Hashirama for a period of time.

The main body solemnly promised that coming to Konoha, he would only need to approve documents, raise flowers, and enjoy himself.

But after taking the post, everything was different. He hadn't eaten a single bite of the big pie that was drawn for him.

In front, there was Senju Tobirama's exploitation day and night; behind, there was Senju Toka eyeing him covetously, accompanied by Uchiha Madara who came to harass him from time to time.

The wood clone's heart was bitter~

After this period of high-intensity hammering, the ox-horse wood clone just wanted to get off work early.

"No problem. After the handover ceremony, I will arrange for you to return home in glory."

Looking at the wood clone with a pleading expression, Senju Tobirama nodded slightly.

"Set off!"

Afterwards, the wood clone, having regained his spirit, walked with vigorous steps toward the rooftop terrace, with Senju Tobirama following closely behind to ensure the entire ceremony was foolproof.

"Boom~"

A huge fireball exploded in the sky, and the scattered sparks actually arranged themselves in an orderly manner into the Konoha emblem, hanging in mid-air, very dazzling.

"Wow!"

"Truly worthy of being the Fan of Fire!"

"Too cool!"

The onlookers couldn't help but let out bursts of exclamation.

On a rooftop not far from the Hokage Building, a group of neatly arranged Uchiha clan members were working hard to perform gorgeous Fire Style, thereby adding to the enthusiastic atmosphere of the handover ceremony.

"Hahaha, my Fire Style has been tested by three generations of clan leaders, worthy of being called absolutely gorgeous!"

The initiator of this Great Fireball firework was an elderly Uchiha who was half a step into the grave. Hearing the praise coming from below, a rare smile appeared on his withered and cold face.

"It's my turn now!"

Before he could finish bragging, another Uchiha clan member, who was older and relied on a wheelchair to move forward, elbowed the smug old man away.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

With a wide mouth left with only gums, a sea of scorching fire gushed out, instantly illuminating the entire Hokage Rock, reflecting the slightly abstract Uchiha Madara rock carving into a bright red, very festive.

"Tsk~ Who brought them here?"

Uchiha Gin, who witnessed the elderly firework troupe's performance from the side, couldn't help but complain.

He remembered that these old guys were all bragging and playing chess in the Uchiha nursing home.

How did they let these old relics, who would fall over at a single blow, out on such an important day?

Just then, a security squad led by Uchiha Kagami arrived late. Looking at the old guys performing hard, the nephew's face turned almost green.

There were several among them with tubes inserted. Regardless of whether it was an oxygen tube or a urine tube, if any mishap occurred, how would he answer to the clan leader?

"Oh my, grandpas and grandmas, please come down quickly, the wind is strong up there~"

Uchiha Kagami immediately persuaded them earnestly. Seeing this, Uchiha Gin curiously leaned over.

"Kagami, aren't they the performers prepared by the clan?"

"How is that possible! They hypnotized the nursing home guard and ran out by themselves!"

The anxious Uchiha Kagami didn't know how to start for a moment, his curly hair rubbed into a mess.

"So that's how it is~"

Uchiha Gin, having learned the truth, showed a look of relief.

He originally thought it was a small program prepared by the clan; he didn't expect it to be a folk group sponsored by friendship.

It seems the cousin indeed has the support of the people.

Finally, under the earnest persuasion of the security team, these elderly people walked off the rooftop with unfinished business.

"The old man still has plenty of chakra."

"With this kind of small fire, I can spray all night!"

"Pity, the clan leader can't see my bottom-of-the-box skills anymore~"

"Alright, alright, wait until the clan celebration in a while, let everyone perform to their heart's content."

Finally solving the problem smoothly, Uchiha Kagami let out a long sigh of relief.

"Your nephew is quite dedicated, unlike some salary thief who just waits to die."

Senju Ban Jian, standing beside Uchiha Gin, blinked her watery large eyes, her gaze full of mockery.

"Although our positions are different, the heart of serving the masses is the same. Please don't look at people with colored glasses."

Uchiha Gin shook his head, seriously finding reasons for his slacking behavior.

"Hmph, sounds better than it sings."

"You little..."

"Alright, don't bicker anymore, Lord First is coming out."

Seeing the atmosphere between her best friend and Uchiha Gin gradually heating up, Uchiha Uchiha Zhili, feeling uncomfortable, immediately intervened, raising her slender fingers high.

Looking in the direction Uchiha Uchiha Zhili pointed, Senju Hashirama, dressed in formal attire, walked out with big strides.

"It's Lord First! ~"

"Long live Lord Hashirama~"

"Wuwuwu Old Hashi, please don't elbow~"

On the terrace, Uchiha Madara, who had been waiting impatiently, turned his head, his tense expression gradually relaxing.

He moved to tidy up his clothes and stepped forward to welcome Senju Hashirama, with Uchiha Izuna following immediately behind.

"Greetings, Lord First!"

On the entire terrace, it wasn't just the Uchiha Madara brothers waiting here. The Jonin squad, as the backbone of Konoha, also gathered here, and dozens of familiar faces shouted in unison.

Elite Jonin from various families gathered together, and the spacious terrace inevitably seemed crowded.

"Hello everyone, hello everyone~"

Being stared at by so many eyes, the wood clone felt a tightness in his heart and hurriedly greeted them.

"Sasuke, did you notice that Lord Hashirama is a bit strange today?"

In the Jonin squad, Shimura Kenichi, who had mixed in through his status as a clan leader, elbowed his childhood friend beside him and asked in a low voice.

"Not really?"

Sarutobi Sasuke frowned and looked up and down at Senju Hashirama, who was dressed up for the occasion, finding that his aura was as thick as usual, with absolutely no suspicious points.

"It is undoubtedly Lord Hashirama."

Just as the two were whispering, a cold voice intervened.

"Uh, Hyuga clan leader, you..."

Only to see Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, who had reached middle age, with the white light in his eyes gradually fading. It could be seen that he had just been using his Byakugan to spy on Senju Hashirama.

"My Byakugan can see through everything."

A look of pride appeared on Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's face.

"Kenichi, even the Hyuga clan leader says so, what else do you have to worry about?"

Having received authoritative certification, Sarutobi Sasuke turned his head and said to the suspicious Shimura Kenichi.

"Hiss, but I always feel something is off."

"It must be your high blood pressure acting up. Everyone says to let you eat less pork head meat, but you just won't listen."

Sarutobi Sasuke looked at the fat-eared Shimura Kenichi and shook his head in disappointment.

Did you think you were surnamed Akimichi?

A perfectly fine ninja, how did he become like this?

"Hashirama, you finally came~"

Uchiha Madara, who had been waiting for a long time, rubbed his hands like a fly, his expression slightly nervous.

"Sorry, I'm late."

The wood clone's nerves were highly tense, fearing that Uchiha Madara would discover the clues. But seeing the other's eyes fixed on the hat on his head, he let out a sigh of relief and instead revealed an honest smile.

"Let's go."

The two stood side by side in the most conspicuous place on the terrace. Looking at the residents looking forward to it below, as well as the tourists who came to play, the wood clone, who shared the same will as the main body, couldn't help but feel emotional.

This grand occasion was as he wished.

"Madara, are you ready?"

Turning his head and looking at Uchiha Madara, whose expression was slightly tense, Senju Hashirama asked in a rare, serious tone.

"Always ready!"

Steadying his mind, Uchiha Madara looked at Senju Hashirama without fear, his black eyes filled with the burning Will of Fire.

"Good!"

Senju Hashirama clapped his hands suddenly, and the noisy sounds on the terrace stopped instantly. His gaze swept across the faces of the Jonin and finally landed on Uchiha Madara.

"I leave it to you, Second Hokage."

Slowly taking off the hat he had worn for many years, Senju Hashirama stepped forward and handed it to Uchiha Madara.

"Hashirama..."

Recalling the chats the two had by the river back then, Uchiha Madara's expression was complex.

This moment, he had waited for a long time.

After experiencing so many years of entanglement, the two finally ushered in a perfect ending.

"I'll state first, although you've stepped down, the work must still be done."

Uchiha Madara twitched the corners of his mouth and said something that made everyone laugh and cry.

"Is there a salary for re-employment?"

Senju Hashirama's heart stirred, and he asked the most critical question.

"Heh heh~ That depends on your performance."

Dreaming, you want a salary? I've worked for free for so many years, have I ever talked about money?

Uchiha Madara sneered in his heart. He must let Senju Hashirama walk the path he came from properly.

"If you want to reminisce, there's plenty of time after going down. Don't keep everyone waiting."

Just as Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were pulling at each other, Senju Tobirama on the side couldn't watch anymore.

The longer the wood clone stayed, the greater the danger of exposure.

"Cough, cough, cough, understood, Tobirama."

Reminded by Senju Tobirama's eyes, the wood clone instantly regained his positioning. After coughing a few times, he raised the Hokage hat in his hand high and, under everyone's gaze, slowly handed it to Uchiha Madara, who had been looking forward to it for a long time.

"Madara, Konoha is now handed over to you..."

Senju Hashirama's voice stopped abruptly, and his hearty smile froze on his face.

Crack!

Following that, in everyone's surprised gaze, Senju Hashirama, who had been full of vitality just a moment ago, actually began to turn into wood. His strong body turned into a piece of withered rotten wood and fell to the ground in the blink of an eye.

Thud~

"Hashirama?"

Uchiha Madara, who had reached out his hand, froze on the spot, letting the Hokage hat slide past his fingertips and fall. His eyes were full of disbelief.

"Hashirama, this joke isn't funny."

The next moment, Uchiha Madara's scarlet eyes appeared, and his pupils moved rapidly up, down, left, and right, wanting to find Senju Hashirama, who was hiding somewhere watching him make a fool of himself.

But the result of the search made his heart fall into an ice cellar. There was absolutely no surging chakra around that made people take notice of Senju Hashirama.

"White-hair, I need an explanation."

His eyes, exuding a cold aura, finally landed on Senju Tobirama, whose face was tense. As Senju Hashirama's brother, he must know something.

"What happened?"

The Jonin squad, after a brief wait, didn't see the expected Senju Hashirama jump out with a funny face. Everyone was suddenly a bit panicked.

"Yeah, Lord Secretary, where is Lord First?"

Among them, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, whose face was the darkest, was the first to speak, his tone faintly showing signs of being exasperated.

He had just finished acting cool, and now he was slapped in the face in public. How would he mix in Konoha in the future?

"Tsk!"

Senju Tobirama, watched by everyone, clicked his tongue secretly. He didn't expect the wood clone to be dispelled at this critical moment.

So he pretended to be calm. With the psychological quality honed over many years, Senju Tobirama's scarlet eyes didn't show any intention of dodging.

"Didn't expect it to be exposed so quickly. Big Brother is really unreliable."

Shaking his head in feigned resentment, Senju Tobirama's relaxed tone made the hearts that everyone had just lifted fall back a little.

"Don't sell it, where did Hashirama go?"

Uchiha Madara, who was familiar with the Senju brothers, wouldn't be deceived by Senju Tobirama's clumsy performance. His anxiety increasing, he asked with a cold face.

"Big Brother went to prepare a gift for you. He should still be on his way back now."

"Hi~ You scared us. The friendship between the two Hokage is truly enviable."

Hearing Senju Tobirama's explanation, the Jonin squad finally put their hearts completely back into their stomachs. Those with eyes had already taken the opportunity to flatter.

"I thought something happened to Lord First!"

"Exactly, exactly~"

"Phew~ So that's how it is? This guy Hashirama..."

After listening to this explanation, Uchiha Madara silently bent down, picked up the hat that had fallen to the ground, and gently put it on himself. The scarlet eyes hidden under the brim, however, revealed an inexplicable color.

"... Really doesn't let people worry." (End of chapter)