Master and Disciple Connected Hearts

Madara had not come to see him for many days, and Rikusei muttered to himself in his heart, nearly counting the days on his fingers.

A miscalculation; he had not expected Hashirama's charm to be so great, enough to keep Madara settled within that small office for so long.

Inside the Dango Shop, Naori, her purple hair tied into a beautiful ponytail, licked her pink lips stained with sauce, perfectly finishing off the last of the tricolor dango on the plate.

She glanced nonchalantly at the distracted boy, rubbed her still-hungry little belly beneath her plain clothes, and steadied her shoulder before silently extending her palm.

The wrist of the attempted thief was instantly pinned; Naori blinked her long eyelashes, as if to say the fair arm resting on the tabletop did not belong to her.

Rikusei chuckled as he divided the pristine, untouched dango from his own plate and gave half to the gluttonous Naori. The girl tried her best to maintain a composed expression, but her gaze, shifting along with the dango, had betrayed her long ago.

"Mm~"

Naori swallowed the round, white-jade-like dango with satisfaction, letting out a comfortable sound like a kitten. She had long wanted to taste what Rikusei's dango was like, and now she had finally gotten her wish.

After finishing the dango, the two headed toward the academy, the summer wind coming from the woods brushing against their hemlines with a cool breeze.

"What was Rikusei thinking about just now?"

Walking in the shade of the wall, Naori tugged at her face and asked with curiosity. Why had he suddenly lost interest in the dango earlier? They were so soft, chewy, and sweet.

Rikusei glanced at the glass reflecting the morning light and answered naturally: "Isn't the village planning to capture the Tailed Beasts? I'm worried they won't take us along."

As one of the few who knew the inside story, Naori stopped in her tracks, her pupils dilating beneath her purple bangs. This was a momentous affair.

"But isn't it normal for Lord Hokage not to take us?"

Naori reached out her hand to compare her height with Rikusei's, and seeing her palm rest right at the level of his nose, she nodded in satisfaction that she was indeed taller.

They were still just students at the Ninja Academy with no real combat capability; if that were the case, surely it was the most normal thing in the world.

Rikusei, his attention diverted, wanted to explain to her that the age range of male and female height development differed, but he worried she wouldn't understand and would think him a pervert.

He could only chant in his heart, Don't bully the poor young man; in a few years, I will definitely be taller than you.

For now, he could only take things one step at a time, waiting until he saw his teacher again; with his eloquence, he would surely be able to get his wish.

For the Ninja Academy's first field trip, Rikusei was willing to dedicate all his wit.

The Ninja Academy had become much livelier during breaks due to the addition of three new classes.

The quality of this batch of students was high; there was no fighting or brawling, and most were gathered in small groups chatting.

Suddenly, a shrill cry rang out in the hallway, a hoarse voice like blood dripping from a wound—perhaps the voice had cracked from over-excitement, though these were merely Rikusei's small mental embellishments.

"Lord Madara is at the school!"

This single howl completely ignited the entire Ninja Academy.

Uchiha Madara possessed power akin to a god's, and legends of him fighting the Hokage for three days and three nights without feeling fatigue were things the children of other ninja clans had heard since birth.

Ever since they were born, the Senju and Uchiha had begun to suppress the entire Shinobi World, ending the era of clans and opening a new era belonging to the Hidden Village.

Who didn't have a hero complex? Especially for these young ninjas who had just stepped into the circle, it was difficult to suppress their excitement upon seeing an idol.

Even when the class bell rang, people crowded the hallway like a tide, pairs of glowing pupils staring fixedly at the figure walking in from the gate.

They held their breath, as if a slightly heavier inhalation would wake them from this dream cast by a genjutsu.

Wearing a high-collar robe, Madara's black hair fluttered slightly. The left eye exposed on his stern face appeared even more somber in the dim environment of the corridor.

Muffled footsteps echoed through the hallway, as if strolling through the people's hearts, clutching at their heartstrings and influencing the rhythm of their heartbeats.

Rikusei, caught in the crowd, clutched his forehead and watched his male compatriots, who looked like fanboys.

Danzo, in particular, had his face flushed red, making Rikusei worry if the future King of Pots would become the first ninja to suffocate himself. Hiruzen was doing better, though his eyes were fixed, as if his spirit had been seduced by Madara's back.

It was the first time he realized his teacher's charm was this potent; when he walked the streets with him before, the atmosphere was completely different.

Bang.

The office door closed, and the back bearing the flame gunbai completely vanished from everyone's sight.

Long, lingering breaths echoed in the corridor. They still wore expressions of being unfinished, and many were quietly discussing Madara's deeds with excited voices.

The discussions, of course, included the number one navy of the Uchiha, Kagami, as the teachers of each class began to call their students to start lessons.

Returning to his seat, Rikusei understood a little. Before, the people on the streets were ordinary civilians, not ninjas who spent their lives licking blood on the blade. They had witnessed true power and understood exactly what kind of encouragement such majestic power could give to people.

The name Uchiha Madara carried a certain magical power, symbolizing majestic power that made people unable to stop themselves.

Humans are complex, but there will always be those who, like moths, are attracted to it and gather tightly around him.

The light Rikusei imagined was currently sitting in the chair he had once occupied, chatting with Tobirama.

"Why are you here?"

Regarding Uchiha Madara, Tobirama's tone was always complex—not exactly cold, but indifferent; after all, he had a "contribution" to the fact that the position of Hokage did not fall to Madara.

Madara seemed quite relaxed, his typically stern face making it impossible to guess his thoughts: "I happened to be free, so I came over. I have something to discuss with you."

Truly, no business, no visit, and with his elder brother involved, Tobirama summoned ten times the focus to treat this seriously.

Following that, the words spoken from Madara's mouth left him stunned for a long time.

Madara examined Tobirama, whose face had stiffened and whose eyes were vacant, with genuine interest, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.

Seeing him trapped by his own Flying Thunder God was truly amusing.

"I must find Elder Brother; this will not do!"

Tobirama stood up abruptly from his chair, his usually calm face flushed, his voice slightly distorted.

"Why wouldn't it do? It is just asking you to watch over a few children." Madara picked up his tea with an indifferent air, slowly moistening his throat before casting a sideways glance at him. "Could it be that the Flying Thunder God technique is nothing more than this?"

Sitting back down, Tobirama's voice carried a hint of anxiety as he stated his point: "Even so, we cannot let the children participate in such a dangerous hunting expedition."

Madara took a list from his pocket and placed it lightly on the tabletop.

"Hyuga, Uchiha, Sarutobi." Tobirama softly read the names of the clans on the list; they were all core descendants of the prominent families within the village.

"Is this not an excellent means to win them over?"

Watching Tobirama, who had begun to contemplate the matter, Madara knew he had already accepted the plan. He set down his teacup, turned, and walked toward the exit, thinking to himself that it was still more interesting to be with Hashirama.