Image makeover

After playing games and seeing off the reluctant children, Izuna and Madara walked side by side on their way home.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting dappled light through the increasingly lush trees lining the streets.

Izuna had his hands behind his head, his steps were sluggish, and he had a blade of grass that he had pulled from somewhere in his mouth. His face had four big words written on it.

Doing nothing.

"Ugh—" He sighed deeply, drawing out the sound, "How boring—"

Ban glanced at him sideways but didn't say anything.

Izuna continued rambling, "Since we got back, everyone's been incredibly busy. Some're building houses, some're doing planning, some're processing documents, and even Lujing and the others were drafted..."

"I'm all alone, so bored I'm practically growing mushrooms." He kicked away a small pebble at his feet. "I should have known better than to make the plan so detailed; at least I should have left myself something to do!"

Ban listened to his younger brother's complaints, but a slight thought stirred within him.

It has been a month since Izuna "returned".

During this month, aside from necessary clan and village meetings, Izuna almost never left the territory of Konoha.

Madara always thought that Izuna was considerate of his feelings and understood his deep-seated anxiety about not wanting to let go and being afraid of losing him, so she deliberately "confined" herself to the village to appease him in this almost obedient way.

Perhaps it's time to let go.

Madara stopped and turned to Izuna.

"Izuna," he spoke, his voice lower than usual, "Do you... want to go out?"

"Huh?" Izuna, who was engrossed in boredom, paused for a moment upon hearing this, looked up, and dangled the blade of grass she was chewing in her mouth. "Go out? Leave the village? Why would I leave the village?"

Madara was taken aback by the overly direct question, but continued, "I mean, leave the village and go out and see the world. You don't necessarily have to take on missions. The Land of Fire is vast, and there are many places you haven't been to yet."

He carefully observed Izuna's expression.

Izuna blinked, his face showing genuine confusion, as if Madara had asked a very strange question.

"Why would I go out if I don't have a mission?" he said matter-of-factly. "There's nothing much to see outside. It's all forests, rivers, villages, and towns, isn't it? I've been to Kyoto, it's just the same old thing."

He counted on his fingers. "Besides, you might encounter bandits, wandering Ninjas, bad weather, or not find good food on the road... How can it compare to the comfort and freedom of the village?"

Ban was completely speechless.

He never expected that Izuna would actually... have absolutely no intention of leaving.

It wasn't out of consideration for him that she suppressed herself, but rather a genuine feeling that "the outside world is meaningless" and "the village is the best place."

This seems... a bit different from the image of his younger brother he had always had—an image of someone with boundless curiosity and drive?

Seeing Madara's expression, as if something was stuck in his throat, Izuna added with amusement, "Besides, brother, Konoha has big things to do right now! The Hokage inauguration, the development of the open area, the connection with the Land of Fire... With so many things piled up, how can I run away now? That would be too irresponsible."

The two brothers Earth Flow down the street as usual, but the atmosphere around them was completely different from usual.

The reason is simple: the number of people turning their heads to look at them is just too high.

Izuna, of course, needs no introduction. His handsome face, a blend of youthful charm and elfin grace, coupled with his clear black eyes that always held a smile, made him a unique sight in Konoha.

Many people know him; everyone is used to his occasional whimsical ideas and outrageous behavior.

More than his good looks, they admired the vitality he possessed that was absent in this era.

But today, most of everyone's attention is focused on the person next to him.

The man was tall and straight, wearing Uchiha Clan Attire similar in style to Izuna's but in a darker color, with a dark blue Haori over it.

His long, dark blue hair wasn't draped over his shoulders as usual, obscuring most of his face. Instead, it was meticulously tied into a neat high ponytail at the back of his head, revealing his smooth forehead and his handsome, almost sharp, face.

A well-defined jawline, a straight nose, and especially those deep, dark eyes that, though still holding a soft glow because of the person beside them.

Without the heavy bangs to conceal it, the visual impact of this face is devastating.

Pedestrians on the street, whether they were Ninjas hurrying by, housewives carrying baskets, or children playing, almost all slowed down involuntarily, their eyes fixed on that face as if drawn by a magnet.

"Who's that...?" A young female ninja whispered to her companion, her cheeks slightly flushed. "She's so... beautiful! Is she from our village? I've never seen her before?"

"That's Lord Izuna next to him... walking side-by-side with him, and so intimately..." Another slightly older Ninja frowned, straining to recall, "Wait, those clothes... it's the Uchiha Clan Attire! That bearing... could it be..."

A sharp-eyed commoner recognized Izuna, then glanced at the strikingly different yet equally outstanding man beside him, and whispered, "Is that Lord Izuna brother? The Uchiha Clan's... Clan Head?"

"Impossible!" someone immediately retorted. "I saw the Uchiha Clan Head once from afar, and he wasn't like that... He had very long hair that covered his face, and he looked extremely fierce and cold..."

"But their clothes are the same, their height and build are similar... and look at how casually Lord Izuna talks to him..."

The whispers grew louder, and the curious and inquisitive gazes became more intense.

Finally, a bold Uchiha Ninja, after carefully examining the profile of the face and the way he walked, gasped sharply and exclaimed in shock, "My God! It really is Clan Head! He tied his hair up?!"

That shout was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

"What?! It really is Lord Madara?!"

"Madara Uchiha?! On that battlefield...?!"

"You can't be kidding me! Lord Madara actually looks like this?!"

"So that's why Clan Head combed his hair up...?!"

Exclamations rose and fell, and the crowd stirred.

Countless gazes focused once again, this time filled with unbelievable shock.

Madara Uchiha Clan Head who was said to be a demon on the battlefield, capable of striking fear into the hearts of his enemies with a single glance, actually possessed such a... stunningly beautiful face?

Moreover, although his face was expressionless at this moment, he no longer exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay. Instead, he appeared much more peaceful as he walked beside Izuna.

This made him easier to observe, making his face even more attractive.

This stark contrast left everyone bewildered and amazed, as their understanding of the world was being challenged.

Why did he cover up such a handsome face before?! What a waste!!

Ban ignored the stares and buzzing whispers around him.

At this moment, his entire focus was on his younger brother, who both brought him peace of mind and caused him headaches.

He was still trying to persuade Izuna to leave.

Although Izuna himself seemed to have no aversion to "staying in the village," enjoying his life eating, drinking, having fun, making small inventions, and playing with children, he was quite content.

But in Madara's eyes, it was too unfair and pitiful for Ninja in his prime, with extraordinary Strength and knowledge, to stay away from the outside world for so long.

They're practically like caged canaries.

Even though the canary seemed to be enjoying itself, Madara couldn't completely convince himself that this was all Izuna truly wanted.

"Even without a specific mission," Madara encouraged patiently, "Going out and traveling, broadening your horizons, and making friends with people from all over the world might be helpful in refining your vision for that paradise. There are many wonders within the Land of Fire."

Izuna was extremely annoyed, and the blade of grass he was holding in his mouth swayed up and down with his irritable smacking of his lips.

He had absolutely no idea what was wrong with Brother Ban today, that he kept urging him to go out.

What's so great about the outside world? Living a life of hardship and danger, nothing compares to the comfort of the village.

But more than Ban's unusual behavior, he now keenly noticed the changes in his surroundings.

Listen to the gazes focused on Ban, and the whispers of amazement.

Izuna's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, a sly glint in his eyes.

It's done.

He'd wanted to slick back Ban Ge's annoying bangs for ages!

That thick, heavy hairstyle, which could practically be used as a hidden weapon, is such a waste of Ban Ge's modeled face!

So, he always carried a red hair tie in his pocket, just waiting for the right moment to style Ban Ge's hair.

The reason I haven't given it away yet isn't because I'm reluctant to part with it, but because the timing wasn't right.

Madara Uchiha's reputation in the past was hardly good.

Besides his terrifying Strength and the title of "Battlefield Asura," his arrogant and self-important personality also inadvertently offended many people.

Izuna pieced together some fragments from the children's accounts and from some circulating anecdotes.

He could imagine what Madara would say, something like what Madara said to Ōnoki in the original Naruto manga, "There is no alliance. Submit to the power of Konoha."

It's estimated that Madara also said similar blunt things to other families, such as "submit" or "join or be crushed."

Although Madara is now his brother and the family he's willing to protect with everything, Izuna has to admit that Madara's almost zero patience and social skills, except towards family and close friends, are really hard to bear.

In that situation, if you were to rashly let Ban Ge show off his overly handsome face, it would not only fail to improve his image, but might even have the opposite effect.

People might think, "What's the use of being good-looking if your personality isn't that bad?" or it might trigger even worse associations and jealousy.

But now, the situation is different.

His previous efforts to win over the children have finally paid off.

His cheerful and positive demeanor, his overly outgoing personality, and his closeness to children were all attempts to create a friendly filter for the "Uchiha" surname.

Although this is currently only a biased view of him Uchiha Izuna, it's enough.

This is because it means that Madara Uchiha's image as "Uchiha Izuna's older brother" has been improved.

People can't help but think, "Ah, Lord Izuna is so kind, his brother probably can't be too bad either, right?"

The surrounding chatter was confirming his suspicions.

"So this is what Lord Madara looks like with his hair tied up... Standing next to Lord Izuna, they really look like brothers."

"Thinking about it carefully, although Lord Madara is very strong, I don't recall ever hearing of him indiscriminately killing innocent people, right? It's all for the sake of his clan and village, isn't it?"

"And he's so nice to Lord Izuna, he even smiled just now..."

This subtle psychological shift was exactly the opportunity Izuna had been waiting for.

That way, Madara's becoming the Second Hokage would be legitimate.

As he listened to Brother Ban racking his brains to list the "ten benefits of traveling", he finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright, bro, I got it." Izuna raised his hand and put his arm around Madara's shoulder like a good brother—this action drew gasps from those around them, after all, it was rare to see someone dare to Madara Uchiha like that.

"Once the Hokage Appointment Ceremony and the first phase of the open area project are finished, there won't be any major issues in the village. I promise I'll definitely go out for a stroll, okay?"

Looking at Izuna's smiling expression, Madara knew that he probably wouldn't be able to persuade him today.

He felt somewhat helpless, but looking at his younger brother's vivid and lively face, he sighed.

"Whatever you want."

"Hehe, oh right, when do you guys plan to carry out the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts?"

"The original plan was before taking office... but now..."

"Ah... then let's go after it's over."

"Um."