Tie Kui's Past, Gyuki Appears

Senju Fujima suddenly recalled that when he first met Tie Kui, she seemed to harbor hostility toward him, so he asked with some confusion.

"It's all because of the detestable Uchiha Clan in your village."

"The people of the Uchiha Clan ruined my mother's entire life, and now you have established a village."

"Do you expect me not to hate you Konoha people?"

"Now that the Uchiha Clan and your Senju Clan have joined hands, no one can stand against you."

"But everything you have done to us, we will hold firmly in our minds, remember at every moment, and never forget."

Hearing Senju Fujima's question, Tie Kui glared at him coldly and rebuked him.

"Huh?"

"The Uchiha Clan ruined your mother's life?"

"What's the situation?"

"Can you tell me about it? I have some influence in the village; perhaps I can help you!"

Senju Fujima frowned after hearing this. It turned out that Tie Kui had a grudge against the Uchiha Clan, but now that the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan had established Konoha, she had projected her hatred for the Uchiha onto the entirety of Konoha. He asked with some doubt.

"My mother was named Tie Lan, originally the eldest daughter of the Tie Clan in the Land of Iron."

"But later, members of the Uchiha Clan accepted a mission, took the commission, and launched a massacre against our Tie Clan."

"My mother was only sixteen at the time and happened to be on a spring excursion outside the Land of Iron. When she returned, all she saw were corpses everywhere."

"My mother was covered in tears; her entire family had been slaughtered, leaving only her behind."

"Later, a man from the Uchiha Clan who was doing cleanup work saw my mother and abducted her."

"I was born later, but he died in battle."

"So my mother took me and snuck back to the Land of Iron, living under an assumed name."

"Until three years ago, my mother also passed away, leaving me all alone, solitary and miserable."

"The Uchiha Clan—I will never forgive them."

"Wuwuwu...!"

Recalling the past, Tie Kui burst into tears. Thinking of her poor mother and her own inability to protect her, her heart was filled with sorrow.

"Huh?"

"There's such a thing?"

"This is a bit cliché, but it happened all the time during the Warring States period."

"In the face of war, without strength, everything is just fleeting clouds."

"Sigh...!"

Seeing Tie Kui's tear-streaked face, Senju Fujima sighed and muttered to himself.

"Although I sympathize with your plight, this is just how it was during the Warring States period."

"It's either you kill me, or I kill you; it's either you die, or I perish."

"Look at the entire Ninja World; which clan doesn't have a sea of blood-feuds?"

"But this cannot be changed; it has all become history."

"If you want to change things, you can only change the status quo, not the past."

Looking at Tie Kui's pitiful appearance, Senju Fujima leaned closer to her, offered his shoulder, and said softly in her ear.

"Does having great strength mean one can do whatever they want?"

"Do the weak not deserve to survive?"

"Even ants cling to life; why can't they just stop fighting?"

Tie Kui sobbed incessantly, looking at Senju Fujima through tear-blurred eyes as she asked.

"That's right, if you have great strength, you can do whatever you want."

"That statement applies to any world."

"Only when you become strong yourself can you resist the strength of others."

"And if others are strong while you are weak, you can only be beaten passively."

"This is reality. As long as humans exist, there will be interests."

"Some people want money, some want power, and some just need happiness."

"But to obtain these things, one must constantly wage war and become the most powerful existence."

"However, I am changing the entire world; everything will eventually return to peace."

"I also want to wake up comfortably every day, eat, stroll, travel, and sleep."

"Perhaps you will be able to see the day that comes to pass."

Senju Fujima looked at Tie Kui with sincere eyes and sighed with emotion.

"Does such a world really exist?"

"Living in a world like this is just too exhausting, far too exhausting."

"Sometimes, I truly wish I could just die like this."

Tie Kui gazed out at the endless ocean and spoke softly.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The days ahead will surely get better and better."

"You will still be able to marry a man you love and live a happy life."

"Life has only just begun; how can you speak of giving up so easily?"

Hearing Tie Kui's words, Senju Fujima smiled slightly and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.

"A man I love? A happy life?"

Tie Kui glanced at Senju Fujima beside her, shook her head with a bitter smile, and a trace of helplessness flashed through her eyes.

"Don't overthink it."

"Let's go to the Land of Hot Water later to soak in a hot spring and relax; my treat."

Senju Fujima looked at Tie Kui and smiled faintly.

"Though it might be cheaper if we share a room, how about we use the same bathhouse?"

Senju Fujima then joked with Tie Kui.

"Get lost."

"Who would want to bathe with you?"

"Shameless."

Hearing Senju Fujima say this, Tie Kui's face turned red instantly, and she hurriedly retorted in shy anger.

"Hehe, it's good that you can think that way."

"Let's go!"

"We're almost there; once we land, we'll find a place to soak in the hot springs."

Seeing that Tie Kui's expression had recovered quite a bit, Senju Fujima shrugged, then steered the Wooden Bird downward, leaping off directly as they neared the ground.

"Hmph, stinky man."

Seeing Senju Fujima jump down, a strange glint flashed in Tie Kui's eyes, though she snorted coldly with her lips before jumping down after him.

Shortly after, the two entered a hot spring inn and went straight in to bathe.

"Ah...!"

"A soak in the bath is truly comfortable!"

"The best way to relieve fatigue."

Senju Fujima lay back on the water's surface, enjoying the baptism of the hot spring; it couldn't have been more comfortable.

On Hashirama Senju's side, they had also received reports from the Anbu regarding the discovery of a Tailed Beast. He and the others decided that one would remain to guard Konoha while the other would head out to capture the beast.

"Roar...!"

"Get lost, you bastards!"

At this moment, Gyuki was surrounded by a group of Konoha ninja. They had been tracking Gyuki when they were accidentally spotted, causing the beast to fly into a rage and send them all flying.

"Ah...!"

Several Anbu were whipped away by Gyuki, collapsing to the ground while vomiting blood, having lost the ability to fight.

"All of you, die!"

"Tailed Beast Bomb."

Gyuki instantly condensed a Tailed Beast Bomb and hurled it directly at the Anbu.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb surged toward the Anbu with unstoppable force.