Tobirama, You Deserve a Place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple

Now that the strange incident had been resolved, Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe were ready to head back.

Madara was clearly in a hurry to return, too. Not long after they left the underground passage, he said goodbye to the two of them.

Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe didn't stop him. The three parted on friendly terms. Before leaving, Senju Jingchuan hugged Madara reluctantly and stroked his long, bony fingers, nearly clinging to him with his whole body.

Madara chuckled as he peeled Senju Jingchuan's hands off him. He gave him a teasing look and said with a smile, "Be a good boy, son. Don't miss me too much."

Senju Jingchuan bristled at once.

When Senju Jingchuan had woken up, he'd remembered how, in his dazed state, he'd called Madara "Mom." He'd already been mortified by it. It was as if he'd been made a generation junior to his "best bro" for no reason!

He'd done his best to forget about it, but Madara bringing it up again made him want to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

How embarrassing. It was just too embarrassing!

If it weren't for those Cuddle Points, would I have done that?! Senju Jingchuan thought aggrievedly.

Senju Jingchuan and Madara were speaking in riddles. Only Senju Chenghe, standing nearby, had no idea what they were talking about. He scratched his head, wondering if there was something he'd forgotten.

Even after Madara left, Senju Chenghe still couldn't figure out what he'd forgotten.

So he hurriedly said to Senju Jingchuan:

"Jingchuan, come check me over. See if I've lost my memory from being too badly injured!"

Senju Jingchuan gave Senju Chenghe's hand a solemn squeeze, then prodded his head a few times. Putting on a grave expression, he said:

"After a diagnosis by a professional medical ninja... Chenghe, your brain damage is the result of your brain being deprived of oxygen for too long."

Senju Jingchuan looked completely serious, his tender, pale face full of sincerity.

Senju Chenghe had thought he really might have injured his head. Worried and frightened, he asked Senju Jingchuan how it could be treated. But Senju Jingchuan couldn't keep a straight face for long and burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! Chenghe, are you serious? There's nothing wrong with you! You're so easy to fool!" Senju Jingchuan laughed so hard he could barely breathe, nearly passing out.

Senju Chenghe hadn't caught on at first, but the moment he saw Senju Jingchuan laughing, he realized he'd been tricked.

The two started chasing each other around again.

After laughing and bickering, they went to find the Senju ninjas who had recovered.

When the ninjas woke up, they felt weak all over and had splitting headaches. They couldn't remember anything. Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe told them they'd been careless and fallen victim to an enemy's knockout drug. They'd nearly been killed, but fortunately, the two of them had arrived in time.

The Senju clan members were dubious, but they truly couldn't remember anything. Besides, Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe seemed sincere, so they accepted that they, a group of experienced ninjas, had somehow been knocked out and nearly lost their lives on the spot.

The ninjas' crisis of faith in themselves was another matter. In any case, Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe were relieved.

What had happened over the past few days was simply too bizarre. Even if they told the other ninjas, they probably wouldn't believe them.

Now that the others had regained their senses, it was best to let the whole incident become a thing of the past.

Although Senju Jingchuan had Healing Jutsu, he had nearly lost all the blood in his body. His wounds had healed, but he still needed plenty of rest.

Senju Chenghe hadn't been injured as badly as Senju Jingchuan, but he also needed time to recover.

The Senju ninjas traveling with them assumed the two had fought desperately against the enemy to save them, so they were especially considerate.

The group didn't rush on their way back, doing their best to accommodate Senju Jingchuan and Senju Chenghe's condition.

Along the way, Senju Chenghe repeatedly remarked that Senju Jingchuan might be a living bodhisattva sent to save him. In such a short time, he'd pulled Senju Chenghe back from the gates of death twice.

Although the two were still a little worn out, they were ninjas, after all, and their physical abilities were exceptional. The group traveled at a speed ordinary people could never match.

The only exception was Senju Jingchuan, who couldn't use ninjutsu and therefore couldn't run like a ninja. One of the Senju ninjas carried him on his back as they ran.

Along the way, the Senju ninjas checked on Senju Jingchuan's condition from time to time. Since he didn't have to run and could keep earning Cuddle Points by resting on a ninja's back, Senju Jingchuan was happy to take it easy and had no complaints.

And so, with both sides entirely willing—and thoroughly enjoying themselves—the journey home finally came to an end.

On a bright spring day, the group returned to the Senju Clan Territory.

Senju Jingchuan hadn't been back in a long time. The air in the Senju Clan Territory seemed fresh and sweet to him. The Land of Lightning was perpetually stormy and rainy, with overcast skies most of the year and only a few clear days. It naturally couldn't compare to the Land of Fire, with its bright sunshine, vibrant spring, and fresh air.

Still, Senju Jingchuan found himself missing life in the Senju Clan Territory. Perhaps he'd lived there long enough to feel homesick.

Senju Jingchuan and the others had been away so long that their families had waited until they finally gave up hope. Even Senju Butsuma had thought they might have encountered enemies along the way and met with disaster.

No one expected the group to return on such a sunny, warm afternoon.

On the day they returned, Senju Jingchuan's older brothers all happened to be in the clan territory.

When they heard that Senju Jingchuan and the others had returned, Hashirama and the others raced to the clan entrance.

The moment he saw Senju Jingchuan, his eldest brother, Senju Hashirama, hugged him and burst into tears. He was sobbing so hard that his face was covered in snot and tears. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought Senju Jingchuan had already died.

Senju Jingchuan was delighted to earn Cuddle Points from Senju Hashirama's hug, but his brother's endless howling was more than he could take.

He tugged at him for ages, and finally managed to pry the "clingy" Senju Hashirama off him with Senju Tobirama's help.

Senju Jingchuan took Senju Hashirama's hand, half amused and half helpless, and showed him that he didn't have a single wound on his body.

"Hashirama, stop crying. Look, I'm perfectly fine!"

Before he could finish comforting Senju Hashirama, Senju Kawarama and Itama rushed over and hugged Senju Jingchuan tightly—their little brother they'd almost lost.

Senju Jingchuan was touched that his brothers cared so much about his safety, but he felt like he was about to suffocate from being hugged nonstop.

"All right, all right. Let Jingchuan go. He's exhausted from being on a mission for so long. He needs to rest." Senju Tobirama finally rescued Senju Jingchuan from his brothers' enthusiastic embrace.

Senju Jingchuan was instantly filled with gratitude toward Senju Tobirama.

Tobirama, you deserve a place in the imperial ancestral temple!