Madara Uchiha Was Nothing to Worry About

Hashirama watched his disciple with satisfaction. To be able to unleash a ninjutsu with such a wide range at such a young age—he really was a genius!

"Because I spent a long time preparing in advance, it didn't take too much out of me today."

Hashirama nodded. Torifu had always been a very reassuring child, though that also often made Hashirama feel like he wasn't doing a very good job as a teacher.

"Why did you decide to set up a Cloud Mist formation outside the village?" Hashirama asked.

"I thought the forest outside Konoha could serve as a natural barrier, so I wondered if I could make that barrier even more effective."

Hashirama smiled. He was very pleased with what Torifu had done today. This way, the village wouldn't need to assign so many ninja to stand guard and patrol.

They could free up more people for other work. Konoha was flourishing, and many tasks were short-staffed.

Now that Torifu had done this, it would at least ease the current manpower shortage somewhat.

"Very good, very good. I'll give you credit for this."

"Thank you, Sensei!"

Torifu had only come to report what he'd done, worried they might mistake it for an enemy attack.

He hadn't expected to be praised by both of them, let alone earn merit for it.

This was an honor countless ninja dreamed of! And Torifu certainly deserved it. The Cloud Mist formation might well save many lives in Konoha.

After that, Torifu chatted with the two of them about cultivation. During their conversation, he also subtly hinted that tonight might not be peaceful.

But Hashirama didn't seem to catch his meaning, while a thoughtful look flickered through Tobirama's eyes.

Anyway, Torifu had done everything he could for now. He'd set up the Cloud Mist Sensing Technique formation and told the guards at the gate that things might get rough tonight, so they should keep a close eye on the entrance.

All he could do now was shout in the street, "Madara Uchiha is coming tonight! Everyone, be on your guard!"

But if he really did that, he'd probably be dragged off and locked in a cell.

Torifu was still somewhat worried. Mainly, he feared Madara Uchiha's first stop would be the Uchiha Clan, where he might rally his former clansmen.

Kagami had once told him that practically every member of the Uchiha Clan's Hawks was a little crazy. They had a good life, yet still wanted to go out and fight.

If Madara Uchiha showed up, they'd probably come running to follow him.

But after thinking it over, Torifu recalled that when Madara Uchiha had tried to lead his clan out of Konoha, not a single person had gone with him. Now that he was back, it was unlikely he still felt any attachment to the clan.

He probably looked down on those "foolish" clansmen anyway. After all, he had seen true "peace" with his own eyes.

Torifu would have to fight Madara Uchiha tonight, so he couldn't keep an eye on Chirori. But Kagami was with her, so nothing should happen.

Konoha certainly wouldn't be peaceful tonight. There was a very good chance the Uchiha Hawks would start causing trouble when they heard Madara Uchiha had returned.

He hoped it wouldn't affect too many people. With Lord Tobirama there, nothing should go wrong.

As Torifu repeatedly thought through whether he'd overlooked anything, time slipped quietly by.

Night soon fell, and people went home to sleep. Since it was the first day the formation was active, the number of ninja patrolling the village hadn't been reduced.

After all, they still needed to test how effective the formation was.

Torifu sat cross-legged on his bed at home, eyes closed as he focused on sensing everything within the clouds.

Every now and then, a kitten or two ran by, and a few wild boars wandered around. In short, after observing for a while, he still hadn't detected any living beings with Chakra.

Just as Torifu was about to relax a little, a living being with an enormous amount of Chakra slowly entered the clouds.

The person strolled in, leisurely surveying the surrounding mist.

Torifu had no doubts or hesitation. He blurted out, "Madara Uchiha is here!"

The man he'd waited a whole year for had finally arrived!

Torifu couldn't quite describe what he was feeling: excitement, hesitation, anger, relief, and so on.

But he wasn't afraid—not in the slightest. Perhaps it was because he had a trump card up his sleeve, or perhaps because he'd rehearsed the day Madara Uchiha attacked Konoha in his mind countless times over the past year.

Maybe he'd simply gotten used to the idea. Whatever the reason, this man, whom only Senju Hashirama could stand against, still made Torifu feel tense.

"Cloud Release: Flowing Cloud Flying Bird Technique."

A bird made of clouds slowly took shape. Torifu whispered something into its ear, then sent it flying toward the Hokage Rock.

"The day has finally come. System, open the Shop!"

A pale blue Shop panel unfolded before Torifu. He had no time to browse the other items, so he quickly searched for the Ancestor Experience Card.

"Found it! System, redeem it!"

[ Ding—Congratulations, Host. You have successfully redeemed the item: Yunzhong Huachen One-Day Experience Card. ]

Watching his 60,000 Calmness Points vanish in an instant, Torifu couldn't help feeling a pang of heartache.

He'd spent a year saving up, and then spent it all in a flash.

Torifu figured the way heaven punished him for being too rich was by giving him a system. He was loaded in real life, but the Calmness Points knew how to put him in his place.

But a moment later, an enormous wave of energy surged into Torifu's body!

Then he realized he couldn't control his body properly anymore. His skin, voice, and appearance were all changing!

Torifu panicked at first, but remembering the system's description of the item, he soon calmed down.

"This experience card really is something." Torifu spoke, but the voice that came out sounded unfamiliar.

It was the voice of a young man, yet it carried the weariness of someone who had seen the vicissitudes of life.

Was the ancestor actually a young man? The absurd thought instantly took over Torifu's mind.

There was no other way to explain that voice!

After a while, Torifu began to regain control of his body. He walked over to the mirror, only to see someone else looking back at him.

The man stood eight feet tall, wore a Jade Crown, and was handsome and dashing. Like Torifu, he had white hair that fell behind his head. His white robe bore the Cloud Crane Hidden Pattern.

If Torifu was right that the ancestor, Yunzhong Huachen, was a sword-wielding cultivator from the Otherworld, then he must have been a handsome man who could charm countless female cultivators!

As Torifu was still studying his reflection, trying to spot the differences, a flood of memories that weren't his own surged into his mind.

To his surprise, these memories were all of the ancestor's techniques and forms. They were completely different from the ninjutsu he'd learned!

The memories left Torifu's head spinning. It took him a full minute to sort out his thoughts, after which he began examining the ancestor's techniques.

Torifu didn't know what level of strength he was at now, but he felt utterly relaxed.

After looking through the memories, Torifu had realized that Madara Uchiha was nothing to worry about.