On the Road

Rikusei and the others arrived neither too early nor too late; the wide street beneath the Konoha gates already had quite a few ninjas gathered.

A sweep of the night light across their faces revealed the same faint smoky eye makeup, all of them looking like they hadn't slept a wink.

Tobirama, at the very front, waved his arms, signaling them to rejoin the ranks. Rikusei and the others extinguished their lanterns and merged into the crowd.

It was Rikusei's first time seeing Tobirama in battle armor. He eyed with interest the blue, faintly glowing armor on him. His bright red pupils, combined with the metal forehead protector wrapped around his cheeks, gave off a subtle sense of pressure.

As the crowd grew, the noise gradually became more chaotic, with excited voices chattering.

Danzo and Kagami were muttering something, and Rikusei strained his ears, catching the word "Snow Ice Drink."

Was it that new ice drink shop?

He whispered it to Naori, and they agreed to try it when they got back.

The Hyuga clan stood together quietly. You couldn't say they didn't get along, as they were standing so close, but their gazes were filled with indifference.

Unlike the lively Uchiha Clan.

Baru and Naka were about to fight. Rikusei glanced over and saw it seemed to be over a girl.

After asking Naori and his classmates, he learned the girl's identity.

Good heavens, three people from different classes were already entangled like this. Early romance really was the death of them.

Suddenly, his sleeve was tugged. Naori blinked her bright eyes and pointed meaningfully at them, asking if they should go over and tell them to be quiet.

Rikusei shook his head, indicating it wasn't necessary, as Teacher Tobirama was already heading over.

A red figure emerged first from the night, someone from the Uzumaki Clan.

Uzumaki Kaimi.

Rikusei remembered him; he was the man standing behind the Uzumaki Clan leader when they welcomed the Uzumaki delegation at the Konoha gates that night.

Following closely, Uzumaki ninjas carrying wooden boxes appeared in a flash, surrounding Kaimi and obscuring him from view. The white-haired Uzumaki Clan leader seemed to be scolding him with his fists, his voice intermittently audible.

"Don't you know your old man is waiting? Was there any need to run off ahead of your clanmates?"

Tobirama gave them a helpless look and began taking a headcount. All the Uzumaki Clan members had arrived.

After a short wait, the first rays of dawn broke through the night sky, turning it a pale, fish-belly white. All the ninjas had arrived.

Only those two were missing.

The sound of wind.

A whistling wind.

The sound of wind from someone moving at high speed, blowing his silver-white hair.

The two, one holding the Flame Gunbai and the other carrying a massive scroll, stood side-by-side. Tobirama took a few steps back, his eyes fixed on their backs with a hint of fervor.

He too had been too excited to sleep well, but his strong physique showed no signs of weakness.

The two strongest in the ninja world were about to join forces against the strongest Tailed Beast.

This was their war: Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

Hashirama, wearing the Konoha headband, looked at Madara, who stood leaning on the Flame Gunbai, with a smile. Their headbands reflected the lingering moonlight in the sky.

The silent crowd watched them intently.

Rikusei noticed that many of his peers had an unnatural flush on their cheeks and their eyes were filled with fanaticism. Even many of the Uzumaki ninjas beside him were the same.

A familiar gaze was fixed on him. Rikusei looked over, and their eyes met across the crowd. He saw Madara staring at him with a strange sort of interest.

This is bad.

Rikusei thought, quickly stepping back. He knew what was about to happen.

The large fan swung in Madara's hand, the chains clattering. The scythe, glinting coldly, flew towards him.

Concentrating chakra in his feet, Rikusei leaped into the air, extending his arm and opening his fingers. He caught it mid-air and landed slowly, slinging it over his back.

Uchiha Rikusei, the fan-carrying tool, took his place amidst countless strange glances.

Hashirama twitched his lips, glancing at the relaxed Madara, and asked in a low voice, "Isn't this a bit much?"

"Isn't that what disciples are for?" Madara replied, looking at him strangely, as if asking why he'd even question it.

Tobirama, overhearing their conversation from behind, felt his facial muscles go numb. He coughed lightly, reminding them that it was time for business.

"Then, let's go!"

Senju Hashirama waved his arm, clenching his fist, and looked at the crowd facing him, his hearty voice filled with determination.

The response was the synchronized clatter of armor as the ninjas moved in a flash.

Just as Naori had predicted, they controlled their marching speed, ensuring the younger ninjas from the Ninja Academy could keep up.

Tobirama, with his excellent sensory abilities, sensed the Anbu clearing the path ahead. The signals they left indicated everything was proceeding normally.

Before leaving the village, he and Elder Brother, along with Madara's efforts, had handled all the important matters in Konoha.

While they were away, all affairs, big and small, would be handled by the Administration Department, led by Nara Shikahira.

This could be considered a simple test for the key figures of each ninja clan, and there was no fear of deception, as the members of the former Senju Clan hidden within Konoha would report their every movement to him.

The wooden crates carried on the backs of the Uzumaki Clan were filled with sealing ninja tools that the Artisan Ninjas had worked overtime through the night to forge; each one was paired with the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, making them ready for immediate use in their hands.

During the advance, he quietly assessed the taijutsu proficiency of the Ninja Academy students; this long-distance march revealed many details, such as their level of chakra control, the techniques used to exert force from various parts of their bodies, and their ability to maintain their composure.

Fortunately, this batch consisted of top students from the various clans of Konoha and common ninja families, which left him feeling quite satisfied.

The Nine-Tails was close, located right within the Land of Fire, and its range of activity had always been vast; the Land of Fire was covered in dense forests where it could appear at will, wandering as if it were roaming its own kingdom.

Ninjas generally avoided venturing into the dense forests, for once they encountered it, the outcome was often extremely tragic.

Long ago, many ninjas had sought to thoroughly resolve this disaster, spending vast sums to invite ninjas from the Uzumaki Clan to intervene, but most attempts ended in failure.

While they could control the Tailed Beast through sealing techniques, they were ultimately helpless; paying a heavy price to kill them only bought a mere dozen years of peace.

This was because Tailed Beasts would be reborn.

After years of observation, it was discovered that they operated within their own territories and would not simply wander out.

People in the ninja world gradually abandoned the idea of targeting the Tailed Beasts, tacitly agreeing to designate the areas they inhabited as forbidden zones.

Of course, there was no shortage of ninjas or ninja clans who challenged the Tailed Beasts to prove their own strength.

Tobirama adjusted his forehead protector, his eyes filled with resolve; things were different now, as they had developed a new method to control the Tailed Beasts by implanting them into the bodies of ninjas.

The east began to brighten as the dazzling sun rose from the horizon, shining upon the forest; round dewdrops on the tender green leaves reflected the morning light, shimmering brilliantly in their eyes.

Ps: Given that there were no Jinchuriki before the era of the Hidden Villages, this invention has been attributed to Tobirama and Ashina.