Chapter 12

"I didn't expect the head of my clan to be underestimated, nor did I expect it to be Uchiha Tai." Madara placed his hand back on the map, sighing softly, "Never mind, some things were never necessary..."

The Merchant Alliance, the Fujiwara Clan, the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, the Tailed Beasts... and finally the Hyuga, every piece was placed in its proper position.

His calm and serene demeanor vanished, his eyes sparkling with a breathtaking arrogance, "It's time I formally met you, Senju Hashirama."

Senju Hashirama had always been curious about what kind of person Uchiha Madara was.

Uchiha Madara was a strong person, there was no doubt about that. How else could he command the obedience of the Uchiha clan, which valued strength above all else?

He rarely went out, seldom took on missions, and was proficient in many things that ninjas disdained to learn. He was picky about his tastes and paid attention to trivial details... He didn't seem like a ninja at all. His deterrence in the ninja world seemed to rely entirely on the Uchiha name. As the head of the clan, his battlefield reputation was not as great as that of the rising stars of the Uchiha.

On the other hand, the Uchiha clan showed no signs of decline; instead, it became more prosperous. The fear of him in various countries deepened day by day.

Whether ordinary people or ninjas, some were loyal to him, some hated him to the bone, some were grateful to him, and some feared him so much that they didn't even want to mention his name. Gentle and refined, aloof and arrogant, generous and magnanimous, vengeful, cunning and deep, wise and perceptive... such completely contradictory evaluations were blended together, making his appearance increasingly blurred.

The Senju clan, as usual, collected intelligence on the head of the Uchiha clan, but the results were meager. The clan obtained a painting and calligraphy, said to be created by Uchiha Madara himself, from the black market. The painting was beautiful, and the calligraphy was elegant yet sharp, but it lacked any of the ferocity of a ninja. During missions, they had only encountered each other twice, and both times they had deliberately avoided each other. They had only met once by accident, and in their haste, Hashirama had only caught a glimpse of the gentle expression Madara had when he was holding his younger brother, and those calm black eyes that remained even after recognizing him.

No matter how the clan guarded against the Uchiha, Hashirama always felt a sense of recognition towards Uchiha Madara. This recognition became even stronger after coming to the increasingly prosperous and peaceful Land of Lightning. War was what showcased a ninja's value, yet Uchiha Madara took great pains to maintain peace in his country, restricting ninjas from entering, and allowing ordinary people to live good lives.

Perhaps, he also had that kind of feeling, a desire to protect something...

On the night of the Spring Festival, the harmony, peace, and tender warmth were the scenes Senju Hashirama dreamed of. He sincerely hoped to pacify the chaotic world that had lasted for hundreds of years, to restrain the power of ninjas, and to stop people from looking at ninjas with hatred and disgust. Everyone's life was so precious and should not be wasted on meaningless slaughter.

To achieve this, communication and even cooperation with the Uchiha clan were necessary. Senju Hashirama had a premonition that Uchiha Madara would be an excellent ally—his vision, his influence, his courage, and his methods of governing a country.

However, just as the Uchiha would speculate about the Senju with the worst possible intentions, within the Senju, anyone or anything associated with the Uchiha was labeled as "having ulterior motives." The historical emotional issues of the clan not only troubled Uchiha Madara but also Senju Hashirama. The Senju clan still did not understand the purpose of the Uchiha clan's collection of Tailed Beasts. Previously, Uchiha Madara had single-handedly infiltrated the Land of Fire and taken the Four-Tails Shukaku, causing panic in the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Fire. Thus, they received the mission to capture the Three-Tails Isobu.

The Three-Tails Isobu was currently in the sea area of the Land of Snow.

The Land of Snow was cold all year round, with snow falling for at least two seasons. Fishermen by the sea had a long closed fishing season every year. In recent years, there had been news of "sea monsters" eating people in this sea area, making the number of visitors even more scarce. As far as the eye could see, amidst an endless expanse of blue sea, there was only a private yacht that looked very expensive. Senju Hashirama hesitated for a moment, thinking it would be better to borrow a boat from nearby fishermen.

Any boat could be scrapped in the sea area where the Three-Tails rampaged... Senju Hashirama did not want to face the angry face of a certain money-grubbing elder in his clan for the time being.

"No need to look, it's not the fishing season anyway, and besides, I've booked this sea area." His casually tied long hair fluttered in the biting cold wind. The young man on the yacht turned around, a small, dark green cat perched on his shoulder. He leaned against the railing with his elbow bent and raised his cup from afar, "Lord Senju, would you care to come aboard for a drink?"

Senju Hashirama was fully on guard, his gaze sharpening, "You are—" As the question left his lips, he already had a vague idea.

"Uchiha... Madara."

Noticing his suddenly tense expression, the young man seemed to smile slightly, then turned and went back into the cabin.

The floor was covered with a thick, dark red carpet, as beautiful and enchanting as the scarlet of the Sharingan. Large embroidered tapestries of mountains and rivers hung on the walls. Near the window was a low tea table with two small drawers underneath. A small pot was simmering on the stove beside it, with various exquisite cups and saucers stacked nearby. There were no other decorations; it was very spacious.

Uchiha Madara knelt by the stove, his head bowed, fiddling with the teacup in his hand. The curtains, the same color as the carpet, were half-drawn over the window, slightly blocking the dazzling white light of the Land of Snow's sky. The light and shadow outlined his three-dimensional and handsome features.

His composure made Senju Hashirama a little uncomfortable.

"Please sit, Lord Senju."

Hashirama knelt on the other side of the tea table. "Uchiha Madara..." His gaze met a pair of golden eyes in the shadow of the curtains, and his nerves twitched again, "Matatabi?"

"Authentic," Madara smiled faintly.

Matatabi glanced at the two men with their own thoughts, stood up, shook its fur, and jumped onto Madara's lap to continue resting. Madara's hand holding the cup paused.

--What's wrong?

--He's strong inside, kind, and upright. This person is much better than you, meow!

--Of course, people who are only strong in power have no value for cooperation.

--Yeah, you've dragged those kinds out as meat shields, you dark-bellied, cold-blooded man~

--You should call me Master, Matatabi...

Whether it was an illusion or not, Madara's smile seemed to become a little terrifying for a moment. The cat on his lap shivered and curled into a ball of fluff.

It looks quite cute and fluffy... No, this is Matatabi, the Two-Tails Matatabi!

"The Uchiha's intelligence network is quite good," Hashirama said in a deep voice. "So, are you waiting here specifically?"

"Since our goals are the same, isn't cooperation a better choice?" Uchiha Madara made a gesture of "three" and smiled slightly, "Besides, Lord Senju hasn't been deliberately hiding your tracks, and you've stayed at Uchiha properties multiple times."

Hashirama's mood became somewhat subtle as he recalled the famous inns, restaurants, and bathhouses with the fan emblem he had visited along the way. What he didn't know was that the other members of the Senju felt aggrieved and depressed—it felt like the Uchiha were robbing them of money!

Seeing the fan emblem everywhere was truly heartbreaking...

"This ship... you're alone." Hashirama noticed. "No one is steering?"

"I had them leave. The bottom is equipped with a chakra detection device, and it can reach the Three-Tails' habitat on its own," Uchiha Madara explained softly.

"Because of the Three-Tails?"

"After all, it's a Tailed Beast."

"...You care a lot about your clan members."

"I am the head of the clan. It is my responsibility not to let them sacrifice themselves unnecessarily," Madara said casually while gently poking the charcoal in the clay stove with a small hook. "Did you eat before coming?"

Senju Hashirama was confused, "Uh, I ate a little..." It was normal to replenish energy before a major battle, right?

Madara pulled out a set of white porcelain teacups with plum blossoms from the bottom, poured a spoonful of boiling water into it, swirled it gently, and then poured it into a trough. Then, he switched to a larger spoon, scooped half a cup of warm water from a large lidded cup on the left, poured it into the teacup, and pushed it over. "Lemon water."

Hashirama composed himself and politely accepted, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Madara took out another set of teacups, rinsed them, poured half a cup of clear water, and pushed it over. "By the way, the previous cup was to rinse your mouth and remove any residual taste. This cup is for drinking."

Senju Hashirama, who was already drinking the last sip of lemon water, almost choked. His face was awkward, and he didn't know whether to drink it or not. Seeing his slightly red ear tips, Madara's hidden mischievousness was slightly satisfied.

He was doing it on purpose... his intuition told him so, yet the man's breeze-like smile was so sincere that it felt cruel to doubt him.

I must be overthinking it! Senju Hashirama silently reassured himself.

—Future First Hokage, you will regret for the rest of your life that you missed the chance to understand someone's truly wicked nature!

Before long, the small pot on the stove began to emit wisps of steam and the rich aroma of wine. Madara lifted the lid, the white porcelain interior making the icy red liquid appear even clearer and more intoxicating: "Fifty-year-old fruit wine. I only brought it out because of you, Senju-kun."

Hashirama fell silent for a moment, looking down to see a small cup of wine already placed before him. What was he supposed to say? My honor? Drinking before a battle didn't seem quite right!

"The chakra signature of the Three-Tails... is close."

"What's the rush?" Madara sipped the vintage unhurriedly, setting his cup down at the remark with a soft chuckle. "Beneath the Nine-Tails, what is there to fear?"

Following these words came a violent shudder from the bottom of the ship. Feeling the massive chakra surging from beneath the water, along with the Three-Tails' savage fury, Senju Hashirama gave a wry smile: "Could it be said that I've boarded your pirate ship?"

"Consider it having secured a ticket," Madara teased lightly. His smile vanished as his Sharingan began to spin, his blood-red eyes—harbingers of death and misfortune—brimming with icy battle intent. "Let's use this beast to warm up. Show me your power, Senju Hashirama..."

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song—"