Hashirama Senju

When he opened his eyes again, Qile felt a burning pain around his mouth. His head was also rather dizzy, and every now and then, a sharp ache shot through it...

He shifted and slowly sat up in bed, his gaze confused yet wary as he looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings.

The room was spacious and bright, but both its furnishings and its style of decoration were completely different from the home he remembered.

Just as he was feeling lost, a lithe figure quietly pushed open the door and stepped inside.

When she saw Qile sitting on the edge of the bed, a look of respect instantly appeared on her face. She hurriedly bent at the waist and asked in an exceptionally deferential, gentle voice, "Young Master Qile, how are you feeling? Is anything troubling you?"

Hearing the other person call him "Young Master," Qile couldn't help feeling bewildered. He instinctively scratched the back of his head and asked, his face full of confusion, "Young Master? What's going on? Where am I? And who are you?"

Faced with Qile's rapid-fire questions, the girl remained composed and humble as she explained softly, "Young Master Qile, this is the clan leader's residence. The clan leader ordered that you may live here from now on. My name is Yeling, and I was ordered by the clan leader to attend to your daily needs."

Qile stared intently at the girl before him, who looked to be around ten years old. She had delicate, lovely features and a voice as gentle as a breeze brushing willow branches. Most striking of all was her light blond hair.

It went without saying that, even though she was from the Uchiha Clan, her family's bloodline had probably been diluted over countless generations.

After all, the Uchiha Clan was known for its handsome men and beautiful women, all of whom had glossy black hair.

Judging by her hair alone, Yeling clearly didn't fit the bill.

"Then... why am I here?" Qile asked, his face full of suspicion.

Shouldn't he have been by the lakeside, following Madara while they tested his... talent!?

Hearing Qile's question, Yeling hurriedly replied, "I'm very sorry, Young Master Qile. I only arrived here this morning on the clan leader's orders, so I don't know much about your situation. However, the clan leader is in the front hall entertaining a guest. He specifically instructed me to tell you that if you woke up, you could go there to see him."

"Oh?" Qile's interest was immediately piqued. The only person Madara would personally entertain had to be... that blockhead, right?

At the thought, Qile grew excited. Unable to hold back any longer, he flipped over and jumped straight out of bed.

But as soon as his feet touched the ground, he couldn't help shivering. At the same time, he realized his legs felt a little weak...

The sensation brought back memories of...

The first time he'd eaten meat...

Yeling, who had been keeping an eye on Qile, saw him wobble as soon as he got out of bed. Concern filled her face, and she asked, "Why don't you rest here a little longer? You still seem rather weak."

Qile waved her concern away. "It's fine. Just show me the way." Then he urged Yeling to get moving.

Seeing how determined Qile was, Yeling said no more. She nodded lightly and replied, "All right. Please follow me."

The two of them turned several corners and crossed a courtyard along the way.

As they drew closer to their destination, Qile heard a hearty, somewhat guileless laugh from nearby. The moment he heard it, he knew his guess had been right!

When Qile suddenly appeared, Madara still wore his usual indifferent expression, as though life and death meant nothing to him. But if one looked closely, the slight upward curve of his brows betrayed a faint smile, showing that he was in a very good mood.

At that moment, Hashirama sat opposite Madara, casually lifting the edge of his robe with one hand while clutching a die in the other. When he noticed Qile...

"Huh?" Hashirama let out a surprised exclamation, his face full of confusion. His eyes widened as he stared at Qile in disbelief.

Madara had a child in his house?

Suddenly, it was as if Hashirama had thought of something astonishing. His expression changed, and he stared at Madara in shock.

He opened his mouth wide and stammered, "Madara! You actually..."

What exactly he'd imagined was anyone's guess.

Hearing Hashirama's bewildering remark, Madara froze for a moment. Then he caught on and scolded him irritably, "You idiot!"

Madara couldn't know exactly what Hashirama was thinking, either, but judging by his exaggerated expression and words, it wasn't hard to guess that the guy was once again imagining something completely outlandish.

"Lord Hokage, I'm Uchiha Qile, the clan leader's... uh, well... I guess I'd count as his nephew?" Qile scratched his head, looking uncertain.

To be honest, he wasn't sure what his exact relationship was to Madara.

Hashirama, who had been playing with the die in his hand, looked up. Curiosity showed in his eyes as he stared at Qile for quite some time, then turned his gaze toward Madara.

After a moment, Hashirama rested a hand on his chin, furrowed his brow slightly, and fell into deep thought.

Just when everyone thought he was about to announce some important conclusion, his expression suddenly turned solemn. In a grave tone, he said, "Just going by your looks, you were a lot cuter than Madara was as a child."

The instant he finished speaking, an exasperated shout rang through the room. "Hashirama Senju!"

At Madara's voice, Hashirama, who had still looked deep in thought, jolted as though startled. But he immediately threw his head back and burst into loud, hearty laughter.

Watching the theatrical scene unfold before him, even Qile couldn't help feeling speechless.

And this guy had become the legendary God of Shinobi?

It was hard to imagine!