Chapter 95: Hashirama Defects, Uchiha Jin Receives Her!

The leader, Nara, spoke up voluntarily.

With the mention of “Hashirama,” the other patrol members instinctively lowered their guard.

They may never have seen Hashirama, but they knew the name—she was one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

More importantly…

Along with the rumors spread by Uchiha Jin, they were well aware of the village’s high council’s persecution of the Senju clan.

“Defect to Uchiha!”

“Go report it.”

Hashirama crossed her arms, her tone utterly flat.

Upon hearing this, every member of the patrol froze, their minds going blank.

What?

Hashirama defecting to Uchiha?

No one could believe it; they instinctively thought it was a joke, for Hashirama’s status was far from ordinary!

Yet.

Still, none dared to neglect it; one of them immediately headed toward the clan grounds.

The remaining two patrol members respectfully escorted Hashirama into the grounds.

Moments later.

Hashirama was ushered into Jin’s courtyard and directly seated in the reception chamber.

“Itachi’re Uchiha Jin?”

“Yes, please sit.”

Looking at Hashirama before him, Uchiha Jin’s expression remained unchanged.

After Hashirama sat across from him, Jin poured her a cup of tea, then added with genuine curiosity: “I never expected Itachi’d choose to defect to Uchiha.”

It was the truth!

She was the Fifth Hokage from the original timeline—and someone who held no affection for Uchiha.

There was no way around it.

A thousand years of hatred between Senju and Uchiha couldn’t be erased by merely founding a village.

Everyone says Tobirama Senju held resentment toward Uchiha, but that’s incorrect—it was the entire Senju clan that looked down on Uchiha, with only Hashirama Senju truly regarding them as friends.

Hashirama was no exception!

She merely refrained from openly targeting Uchiha, unlike the Konoha F4, because they all lived in the same village.

That’s precisely why Uchiha Jin was curious!

He assumed Hashirama would at most remain neutral, with a slim chance of becoming Fifth Hokage, and virtually zero chance of joining Uchiha.

So.

Upon learning she wanted to join Uchiha, his first thought was disbelief, his second: this woman had lost her mind.

Meanwhile,

Hashirama’s expression remained calm; even as she looked at Uchiha Jin, her gaze carried a faint discomfort, yet she still took the tea he offered.

“Tch, not even alcohol?”

“My apologies—I don’t drink. It clouds my judgment.”

Uchiha Jin shook his head—he spoke the truth.

In his past life, he never liked alcohol; in this life, with the pressure so immense and his nerves constantly taut, he feared that if he drank even one sip, Root would kill him before he could sober up.

Even now, it’s the same.

Though Uchiha’s situation seems promising, it’s merely leveled with Konoha’s high council—only if this operation succeeds fully can they truly suppress the village leadership.

Yes!

Merely suppressing them—there’s still a long way to go.

“Itachi won’t drink?”

“Then your life must be dreadfully dull. Even the Nara clan occasionally drinks to unwind.”

“All Itachi do is plot and scheme—what joy is left in life?”

“But whatever.”

“It’s none of my business. As for why I chose to defect to Uchiha—just assume I got kicked in the head by a donkey.”

Hashirama drained the tea in one gulp, her mind clearing slightly.

Then.

She herself was stunned.

I defected to Uchiha? Why did I just do that?

Slightly sobered, she stood frozen in place.

Though she despised Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other Konoha leaders, she never should’ve chosen to join Uchiha!

What a drunken mistake!

But since it was done, all she could do was sigh—she had no idea what else to say.

What now?

Could she really tell Uchiha Jin she’d drunk a little, thought of the village’s darkness, and stormed over in a fit of rage?

Yet, on the other side,

Though Hashirama didn’t reveal the truth, Uchiha Jin sensed her discomfort—and with the strong scent of alcohol clinging to her, he guessed it almost perfectly.

After a brief pause, he spoke slowly.

“Your words, Lady Hashirama, sound like a well-fed man complaining about a starving one.”

“If I didn’t scheme, Uchiha would’ve been wiped out long ago—and I’d be lucky to be nothing more than a missing-nin.”

“Under such immense pressure for survival, how could I afford to care about ‘joy’?”

“Of course.”

“I understand your situation roughly.”

“Uchiha allows free entry and exit—we never force anyone.”

“If Itachi regret your decision, Itachi’re free to leave at any time.”

Uchiha Jin remained utterly calm.

Sensing Hashirama’s mood, he immediately offered her this assurance.

Yes!

Though Hashirama, as a medical ninja and the last Senju, could bring immense value to Uchiha, he didn’t truly care much.

In truth,

In Uchiha Jin’s plans, she had never been part of the equation—so her departure meant nothing to him.

He had full confidence in himself—he could achieve all his goals through righteous means alone!

And yet,

Upon hearing this, Hashirama froze, utterly stunned.

Though she appeared self-destructive daily, she knew herself well—even without bearing the Senju surname, the name “Hashirama” in Konoha remained irreplaceable.

Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya wouldn’t have gone mad trying to bring her back.

But looking at Uchiha Jin’s calm face, she felt a flicker of irritation.

“Oh, so generous?”

“Aren’t Itachi afraid I’ll become the Fifth Hokage? That would wreck your plans.”

“If I simply nod, every chaotic civilian ninja, every villager—even the Daimyo—will unquestionably accept my authority.”

“Even among the clans Itachi’ve courted, I could win over a portion.”

“Aren’t Itachi afraid of any of that?”

Hashirama was deeply confident—she truly believed she could.

Of course, on one condition:

She must not purge Hiruzen and the other clans—otherwise, every clan would turn against her.

After all, during the Senju clan’s downfall, those clans played shameful roles; though they hated Hiruzen Sarutobi too, they feared her more as Fifth Hokage seeking vengeance.

So.

If she abandoned purging Konoha’s leadership, she would unquestionably ascend to the Fifth Hokage position.