Chapter Thirty-Six

Hashirama was stunned.

That incredibly familiar name echoed in his mind. First came shock, then a moment's hesitation. "Are you sure his surname was 'Senju' and his given name was 'Hashirama'?"

The proprietress nodded emphatically. "Yes. Oh, goodness, I've been standing here talking. I'll go prepare something to eat and bring it up."

Hashirama nodded absently. By the time he came to his senses and wanted to ask for more information, the proprietress had already left. He glanced at Madara in his arms and sighed softly, then gently laid the sleeping beauty on the tatami and carefully arranged his long hair, which had been getting in the way.

The room fell silent. Ever since becoming clan head, Hashirama had been so busy with missions and dealings between clans that he rarely got to enjoy such peaceful quiet. After a fierce battle with the Nine-Tails, he had woken from an inexplicable blackout and spent the time since evading pursuers. Only now could he finally relax his taut nerves a little.

Gazing at the dim lamplight, he fell into thought.

When he heard that name, his first thought was that it was either a case of mistaken identity or someone using the name. It wasn't unheard of. In these chaotic times, the strong were everywhere, and people revered strength and feared the powerful. Some gave their children names resembling those of famous strongmen; others passed themselves off as someone else to swindle people. But he dismissed that idea at once. The Land of Fire was currently in the midst of war, and the Land of Lightning was eyeing it covetously. The Uchiha Clan had been infiltrating the Land of Fire for years, and its influence was not to be underestimated. At a time like this, who would dare interfere in the affairs of the Land of Fire under his name?

His second theory was that someone was using his name to drag the Senju Clan into a war between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire. Madara came to mind immediately, but Hashirama dismissed the idea too. It was a plausible scheme, but it fell short of Uchiha Madara's level of cunning. If that was the best Madara could do, the Senju Clan wouldn't have much to worry about. Another clan might try something like this, but what would they gain? Acting under the Senju banner on territory marked out for the Uchiha in the future was hardly a wise move.

The third possibility was an illusion. The world humans perceived was built from information conveyed to the mind through their five senses. An illusion was simply the creation of a nonexistent scene using false information. What they saw was false, what they heard was false, what they smelled was false, what they touched was false... Everything was false. The theory made sense, but it didn't feel right. An enemy capable of creating an illusion that completely deceived both him and Madara wouldn't need to go to such lengths to deal with them.

Of course, there was one other possibility: this "Senju Hashirama" was... real.

As soon as he arrived in this town, he'd noticed that it was a little more prosperous than he remembered. There were fewer dangerous people on the roads, more homes, and many buildings had been renovated. Generally speaking, war brought chaos and hardship to ordinary people, even in remote little towns. How had this place escaped that fate?

And bringing peace to the warring lands, establishing order in the Ninja World, and helping people live better lives—that was his dream. This "Senju Hashirama" seemed to have accomplished all of it. Hashirama's breath caught. A possibility rose to the surface.

Travel through time...

If that was the case, then this "Senju Hashirama" was his future self?! And what had brought him and Madara to the future?

The Nine-Tails? No, the Nine-Tails only had space-time abilities.

No, not necessarily. No one could be sure what secrets the Tailed Beasts, ancient as they were, might hold.

Aside from the Nine-Tails, what else could have caused this?

Hashirama was a strong analyst, no less capable than Madara at judging a situation. Unfortunately, there was too little information, and the whole situation was too absurd. He thought it over for a long time without getting anywhere, so for now he had to give up. With nothing else to do, he turned his attention to the serene, handsome face before him. The sleeping man had no idea of the doubts and speculation filling Hashirama's mind. He simply lay there, still and quiet. Whoever that "Senju Hashirama" was, the most important thing right now was keeping this man safe.

Anything made by the Uchiha was bound to be exquisite, whether it was an object or a beauty. Madara's face was among the finest in the entire clan, which numbered several hundred. Combined with his unique bearing and aura, it made him even harder to look away from.

With that thought in mind, Hashirama, as if possessed, reached out and... touched him.

His fingertips traced the smooth lines of Madara's face, lingering for a moment over his eyelids. The Sharingan... Then they moved down the straight bridge of his nose to his soft lips, finally stopping at the tip of his chin.

Beneath his white-jade skin, warm blood flowed.

That was right. He was Uchiha Madara.

And I am Senju Hashirama.

No matter what the world was like, at least we were real.

He withdrew his hand and stared blankly for a while, then leaned back and covered his eyes. Honestly, I'm a little tired.

A quarter of an hour later, the proprietress brought up two steaming bowls of porridge and a pot of water. Hashirama used his chakra to cool the porridge until it was warm, then propped Madara up and slowly fed him with a spoon. When he finished, Hashirama wiped Madara's lips, put everything on a tray, and left it outside the door. Then he lay down beside Madara without changing out of his clothes and went to sleep.

The night rain continued.

The Uchiha who came at the sound stared in horror at the black figure standing alone amid the ruins of the main compound. None of them dared approach. A clan elder arrived moments later and called out to the figure, "Lord Madara! What happened?"

The man in the darkness turned around, paying no attention to the rain falling on him. His blue yukata looked black in the night, and his loose hair covered half his face. His blood-red Sharingan brimmed with undisguised killing intent.

At the elder's words, he seemed to smile faintly. His carefree smile stood in stark contrast to the murderous aura enveloping him, inspiring an inexplicable fear.

It wasn't the awe one felt in the presence of a powerful opponent. It was a chill that rose uncontrollably from the depths of one's heart...

Every Uchiha present instinctively took half a step back.

Ignoring the elder, he tilted his head slightly and said coolly to one of the Uchiha, "Clean this place up before daybreak."

Then he looked toward the elder nearby. His half-lidded eyes carried an indescribable menace. "Who gave you permission to call me by my name?"

The elder's scalp prickled. A kunai whistled past, grazing the top of his head. Cold sweat instantly covered his body.

Madara adjusted his long hair slightly, then slowly walked east beneath the gaze of all the Uchiha. The house was ruined, so he'd have to find another room tonight. What a pain that there were no spare rooms besides the guest quarters...

The Uchiha relaxed and exchanged glances. In the night, the departing man's voice drifted back, clear as if he were right beside them. "Next time, remember to call me 'Clan Head'!"

After a night of rain, the morning air was fresh and damp. Hashirama woke at the first sound of the proprietress cooking downstairs. A top-notch shinobi's hearing let him pick out the clatter of pots and spoons.

Madara still hadn't woken up.

Hashirama had nearly expected that. He went downstairs, brought up a bowl of porridge, and fed it to Madara. Then he set up a sturdy defensive and alarm barrier around the room, said goodbye to the proprietress, and went out alone. There were things he had to find out.

The shops on both sides of the road had opened, and the whole town was bustling. The scent of breakfast filled the air as shopkeepers cheerfully called out to passersby. It was an ordinary scene, but Hashirama smiled at it.

Even in a good mood, he couldn't forget what he'd come to do. As he walked, Hashirama chatted with the locals and discreetly drew out the information he wanted. He was handsome, imposing, bright-eyed, and gentle-spoken, drawing curious glances from quite a few women.

Before long, he had gathered enough information—enough to overturn every assumption he'd made beforehand.

Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had joined forces to stabilize the continent, which had been in turmoil for decades...

The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan had founded Konoha in the Land of Fire...

Konoha took in some shinobi and orphans, and united with and protected the clans with bloodline limits...

Konoha was now the continent's strongest military organization, making the Land of Fire the strongest of the Five Great Nations...

The leader of Konoha was called the Hokage, and the first Hokage was Senju Hashirama...

Konoha...

A village...

There was no way this could be the place he and Uchiha Madara had founded. Before they arrived here, the Land of Lightning had already seized half the Land of Fire!

Besides, how could a village funded by shinobi missions, local taxes, and tax subsidies from the daimyo of the Land of Fire possibly afford Uchiha Madara? To borrow Uchiha Etsu's words, which favored the Senju: "The clan head's monthly expenses are enough to work a middle-ranking clan shinobi to death!"

But if this wasn't the future, who was this Senju Hashirama?!

What kind of world had he ended up in?!!

"Ho... Lord Hashirama?"

Hashirama turned around. A silver-haired stranger in black shinobi clothes, wearing a Forehead Protector with an unfamiliar symbol, was staring at him in surprise.

Who was he? Why did he know him? Hashirama stayed on guard as his mind rapidly assessed the situation, while his expression remained unchanged. "What is it?"

The shinobi seemed to realize something and looked understanding. "Are you personally investigating that person, my lord?"

From that sentence, Hashirama immediately deduced three things: the Hokage looked just like him; Konoha was searching for someone; and anyone the Hokage personally pursued was either highly dangerous or had some special connection to the "Senju" here.

He decided to start with the shinobi before him. He could only get general information from the marketplace. "Yes. Have you found any clues?"

The silver-haired shinobi shook his head. "The target is too strong and erased his trail along the way. The Ninja Dogs followed the bloodstains to this area, but then the trail went cold."

Hashirama immediately realized that the man was tracking him. So the wound on Madara had led them here. After a few quick thoughts, he gave up on trying to draw more information from the shinobi. He simply nodded and said, "Keep searching. I have something to take care of, so I need to return to Konoha first."

The other man answered respectfully, "Attend to your business first, Lord Hashirama. Leave this to us."

Hashirama nodded, turned, and hurried back to the inn. He picked up Madara and left.

He had a feeling that the key to sorting all of this out... lay in Konoha!