Divine Artifacts * Kinkaku and Ginkaku

After pretending to look around for a while, Hashirama finally spoke slowly, saying he wanted to go aboard for a tour.

The manager's smile froze for a moment, and he tapped his fingers twice on the ledger, looking somewhat troubled.

But if he were truly in a difficult situation, he wouldn't be acting like this; he definitely wants money.

Before he could speak, Hashirama added, "If you're satisfied, I'll bring a few friends to make a reservation. I know plenty of people who can afford it."

As he spoke, he pulled a handful of silver coins from his sleeve and casually tossed them into the steward's hand.

The silver coins were heavy, piled into a small stack in the steward's palm, and were of excellent quality.

The steward glanced down, his throat bobbing, then looked up at Hashirama's honest face, gritted his teeth, and stuffed the money into his pocket.

"Alright, sir, this way please." He stepped aside to make way. "However, we have to follow the rules. I'll accompany you around, just don't touch anything."

Hashirama glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Izuna was absolutely right; money really can make the devil turn the millstone.

They boarded the ship from the gangplank, with the foreman walking half a step ahead, glancing back every now and then, as if afraid he might wander off.

Hashirama didn't seem to care. He put his hands behind his back, looked around, and acted as if he were seeing the world for the first time.

He touched the hull, knocked on the railing, and peered down at the cargo hold entrance. He hummed twice and nodded, as if considering whether to place an order.

Seeing that he was looking at the ship intently, the steward gradually relaxed and slowed down, beginning to casually introduce the layout of the ship.

When they reached the middle of the cabin, Hashirama suddenly stopped, frowned, and turned to the steward. "Is there a restroom on this ship?"

The manager paused for a moment, then pointed to the end of the corridor. "Go in, turn left."

"Okay." Hashirama nodded, then added, "Wait for me a moment, I'll be right back."

"Okay, okay, please go ahead."

Hashirama turned and walked deeper into the corridor, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

Reaching the corner, he made sure the steward was out of sight, then raised his hand to form a hand seal, silently creating a Wood Clone.

The clone waited in place for a moment before turning around and walking back.

The steward waited where he was, and when he saw "Hashirama" return, he went up to him and asked, "Sir, are you done relieving yourself?"

"Okay, let's go." The clone smiled at him, his tone friendly. "You just said there's a theater on this ship?"

"Yes, yes, the theater is over here, I'll take you there."

The steward led his clone away into the distance.

The real Hashirama leaned against the shadows at the corner, waiting until their voices had completely faded before emerging from the shadows.

He continued walking deeper into the corridor, avoiding the main road and instead choosing secluded side streets and corners piled with goods.

The boat was new, and the wood smelled strongly, mixed with the rusty smell of tung oil and iron nails.

As he walked, he spread out his senses, letting the tendrils of Chakra probe down the ship's deck.

That aura is still there.

It was heavy, pressing down deep into the hull, even closer than he had felt in the dock earlier.

He followed the direction of the scent, turned past an iron gate, went down a narrow staircase, and arrived at a cabin near the bottom of the ship.

The light here was much dimmer, with only a few oil lamps hanging on the walls, their flames flickering and casting patches of shadow on the wood grain of the bulkhead.

At the far end of the cabin was an iron door, through which a faint sliver of light shone.

Hashirama stopped in front of the door, frowning.

That aura was right behind us, so close, seeping out from right next to the door.

After checking the door lock, I made a makeshift key out of wood and opened the door.

Behind the door was a long, narrow cabin, much narrower than the outer one, like a specially partitioned secret room.

There were few decorations inside, except for a stone platform in the very center, on which sat a clay pot about half a person's height, its mouth sealed with cloth.

Hashirama frowned. "Is this what it is?"

He took a step forward and leaned closer to examine the earthenware pot.

The jar is yellowish-brown, made of coarsely fired clay; you can feel the fine particles when you touch it. A black Runes covers its surface, but its meaning is unknown.

The mouth of the jar was sealed with a thick cloth, and the corners were tied tightly with hemp rope.

This jar looks heavy, but Hashirama could lift it with one hand.

The problem lies inside.

He reached out and touched it; the jar was slightly warm, as if something alive was slowly pulsating inside.

This thing exudes the aura of Tailed Beast.

"But how did they seal the Tailed Beast?" he muttered. "Tobirama here, it would be perfect."

He looked at it for a while longer, but still couldn't figure it out. So he squatted down, grabbed the bottom of the jar with both hands, and lifted it up.

The jar was much lighter than he had expected.

"No matter what, get them out of here first."

Just as he was about to leave quietly, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

First came a few muffled thuds, like heavy objects hitting wooden planks, followed by shouts that came through several layers of deck, muffled but clear enough to tell that a fight had broken out.

Hashirama's hand stopped on the jar, and he listened for two seconds.

"We've been exposed?"

But the clone didn't disappear.

He frowned, picked up the jar, and walked back.

He hurried along the path he had come from, passing through the narrow stairs and iron gate, and onto the deck.

He froze as soon as he stepped out of the cabin.

The deck was in complete chaos.

The boatmen scattered and fled; some jumped into the sea, while others crawled into the cabin.

Several cables were cut, and the canvas hung halfway, fluttering in the sea breeze.

The two groups of people were fighting fiercely, bow to bow.

On the side of the dock, there stood a blond man.

The man was burly and muscular, shirtless, with an animal skin wrapped around his waist, and carrying a large, fan-like knife and a gourd in his hand.

Standing next to him was a silver-haired man, slightly thinner than him but equally wiry, with long, flowing silver hair, a fan in his left hand and a golden rope wrapped around his right.

Kinkaku. Ginkaku.

Hashirama's heart sank.

He knew these two people; Ninjas who possessed the Nine-Tails Chakra. He had heard from the Founding of the Village the Land of Lightning had sent people to the Land of Fire to deal with the Nine-Tails.

They had fought the Nine-Tails head-on and returned alive, and possessed multiple Six Paths Tools, earning them the title of Kumogakure's Two Lights.

A man and a woman were standing opposite them.

A man with dark red hair, a fierce face, carrying two swords, and radiating Lightning Release.

The woman behind him had her black hair tied in a high ponytail, a string of Tomoe hanging from her waist, a cold expression, and several Talisman Paper wrapped around her wrist.

Ringo Hayato.

Takahara Yū.

Madara showed him what they looked like using his Sharingan, so Hashirama knew who they were.

Earlier behind the Shrine, Madara had negotiated terms with the two men, saying he would let them retrieve the Lightning's Divine Artifact in exchange for the safety of the Chinoike Clan.

But how did they get here? Are they here to fulfill their promise to take the Divine Artifact?

The fight was in its midst when Hashirama stepped out of the cabin, and everyone stopped.

They were all shocked.

Hashirama Senju?!

What are you doing here?!

Wait, the waiter just told him someone boarded the ship. So it wasn't those two, but Hashirama Senju?

"Who led him here?!" Kinkaku roared, his voice shaking the splinters on the deck.

Before Kinkaku could finish speaking, Ringo Hayato had already rushed forward.

The Raiga's Twin Swords drew two purple-white arcs in his hands, and Lightning Release exploded along the blades, cleaving two charred grooves into the deck.

Using the speed of Lightning Release, he flashed to Kinkaku's side and slashed at Kinkaku's right arm holding the fan.

Ginkaku reacted extremely quickly, Gold Rope, the golden end wrapping around the Hayato's wrist.

But Hayato was prepared. He flipped his left-hand sword and used the back of the blade to knock the rope open, while his right-hand sword thrust forward, forcing Ginkaku to take a half-step back.

"Takahara Yū!" Hayato roared as he fought, his voice filled with a helpless gritted teeth, "I must have owed you something in my past life!"

Takahara Yū stood half a step behind Hayato, the Talisman Paper on her wrist lighting up one by one. Kinkaku tried to sneak up on Hayato from the side, but Yutaka raised her hand and forced him back with a talisman light.

The talisman landed on Kinkaku's arm, burning a scorch mark. He groaned and retreated.

As Ginkaku stepped forward to fill in, Kinkaku glanced at the partition and saw the steward hiding behind Hashirama.

Damn! This kid led them up here?!

When these people gave their reports, they were vague and kept repeating themselves, only saying that someone boarded the ship, without specifying any details about their appearance. No wonder they've only ever been boatmen their whole lives!

This supervisor is utterly foolish! He's bringing all sorts of people onto the ship! We've repeatedly warned them not to bring anyone on board! These disobedient people should all be killed!

Kinkaku and Ginkaku exchanged a glance.

Their goal is clear.

On this ship, there was only one thing they truly cared about: the Amber Purifying Pot.

The moment Hashirama stepped out of the cabin, they immediately noticed the earthenware pot he was carrying.

This item was Divine Artifact of Sage of Six Paths of the Land of Lightning, which they lent out in a deal with the Land of Hot Water's higher-ups.

At this very moment, the Three-Tails is sealed inside. This was purchased by Ise Hana of the Land of Hot Water at a great expense, and out of professional ethics, they cannot allow Hashirama Senju to leave with the Amber Purifying Pot!

Kinkaku abruptly shook off Hayato's entanglement and charged towards Hashirama's direction.

Ginkaku followed closely behind, his Gold Rope arcing through the air as it coiled towards the jar in Hashirama's hand.

Yuu and Hayato certainly wouldn't let them have their way.

The Hayato intercepted Kinkaku from the side, unleashing a flurry of Lightning Release strikes with both swords, forcing Kinkaku to parry with a horizontal fan.

Youze stood in front of Ginkaku, Talisman Paper flew out from her sleeves, forming a light curtain in mid-air that blocked the path of the Gold Rope.

"Lord Hashirama!" Yu called out urgently, turning back while maintaining the light barrier, "That's the Amber Purifying Pot! Please open the lid and call out the names of Kinkaku and Ginkaku! If they answer, they will be absorbed inside!"

Hashirama stood there, holding the jar, not knowing whether to laugh or cry upon hearing this.

"The moment you shout like that, they know they can't agree," he said. "Besides, this thing should actually belong to them, right? Are you sure you want to use something they're familiar with against them?"

After checking, Udon clearly realized the vulnerability.

She gritted her teeth and decided to change her strategy.

"Then please make your move!" she cried, Talisman Paper lighting up one by one between her fingers. "If you can defeat these two brothers, all their divine Divine Artifacts will be yours!"

Both Kinkaku and Ginkaku changed their expressions.

"You've gone too far!" Kinkaku roared.

Hashirama looked at them.

He had originally been thinking about how to suppress them, and how to find out why there was Tailed Beast's aura here, and why they wanted to capture the Tailed Beast. But now, seeing how they looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, his wicked intentions couldn't help but surface.

"Hey, I didn't say that." He said casually, "She did say that, but it's Divine Artifact..."

He put the jar on the ground and patted it.

"Having more is good, isn't it?"

The Kinkaku and Ginkaku gritted their teeth.

They knew they couldn't defeat Hashirama.

Not to mention that the man in front of them was the legendary God of the Shinobi World, the Clan Head of the Senju Clan, Strength was unfathomable, they were certain from the way they had seen Hashirama from afar that day that even if he activated Nine-Tails Mode, he wouldn't be able to harm this man in the slightest.

Even though the person standing in front of him was moving normally, he was already radiating a strong Chakra fluctuation.

The sense of oppression was even more frightening than it appeared from a distance.

Kinkaku's fingers, gripping the fan, turned white.

But the Amber Purifying Pot was in his hands; it belonged to them, and the Divine Artifact had to be returned.

"Hashirama Senju," Kinkaku spoke, his voice lower than before but still firm, "This is none of your business. Return the Amber Purifying Pot to us, and we'll leave immediately."

Hashirama tilted his head to look at him. "Giving it back to you?"

"That's something from Kumogakure."

"Is that so?" Hashirama looked down at the jar in his hand. "But it's in my hands now, and this lady promised Konoha that she would give us two of your Kumogakure's Divine Artifact. Now that we have them, why should I return them?"

Kinkaku's lips twitched, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn woman!"

I should never have slept with her in the first place! Women are truly a curse! I'm going to go back and kill all the prostitutes!

Ginkaku grabbed his arm and whispered, "Big Brother, don't fight him head-on, we can't beat him."

Kinkaku took a deep breath and looked up at Hashirama. "What do you want?"

Hashirama extended his hand, his tone still amiable, but the words he spoke were enough to give anyone a heart attack, "Give me one of the Divine Artifact you possess, and I'll let you go."

"Impossible!"

Hashirama regretfully withdrew his hand and touched his chin.

"Then tell me," he said, "Why are you here?"

Kinkaku gripped his fan tightly, his chest heaving as if he were struggling with himself.

Ginkaku watched him from the side. Now Kinkaku felt that Ginkaku was really useless. His brat couldn't come up with any ideas for his Big Brother!

After a few moments of silence, Kinkaku spoke, his voice hard and strained, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"We are only here to assist on the orders of our Lord Raikage."

"Whom are you assisting?"

Kinkaku didn't respond.

Hashirama wasn't in a hurry; he just watched him.

Who are you helping?

Kinkaku's lips tightened. Ginkaku whispered beside him, "Big Brother, don't say it."

"Assist whom?" Hashirama asked again, his tone still as amicable and focused on making money.

Kinkaku took a deep breath, as if finally giving up the struggle. "People of the Land of Hot Water."

Hashirama let out an "Oh," and turned his head to look at the mess on the deck.

Who are they from the Land of Hot Water?

Kinkaku did not answer.

Hashirama didn't urge him, he just stood there, the sea breeze making the hemp rope at the mouth of the jar sway gently, but he remained unmoved, looking completely at ease.

Kinkaku considered making a move several times, thinking of taking everyone down with him, but he knew that was impossible.

Hashirama's aura was so overwhelming that he could hardly breathe, and with Ringo and Yu watching him intently from the side, he had no time to hesitate.

After swallowing his humiliation, he spoke, revealing the name of his master.

Ise.

Hashirama raised his chin, signaling him to continue.

"The Land of Lightning has a partnership with Ise," Kinkaku said, each word squeezed out as if from a knife. "They asked us to bring the Divine Artifacts to the Land of Hot Water to cooperate with their plans."

What plan?

Kinkaku fell silent again.

Hashirama sighed, turning to look at Yu and Hayato: "It seems you two are planning to sneak into this ship and take him while the Amber Purifying Pot is outside."

Youdian nodded. "Yes, it's a pity it didn't work out. Your arrival was reported to Kinkaku and Ginkaku by nearby crew members."

Hashirama raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So it was I who thwarted your plans?"

Yu lowered his head meekly and said, "I wouldn't dare. Even without the agreement with Konoha, we would still find a way to steal the Amber Purifying Pot, because it was the order of the Kumogakure."

The Kinkaku and Ginkaku were utterly shocked. "What?!"