The Uchiha Here

His tone remained indifferent, but the initial hostility was gone— the Flame Ninja Village was a rival, but not an enemy country, and besides, there were only three of them; they didn't seem like they were there to cause trouble.

"Look," Natsu said calmly, "look at what Konoha is like. Look at what the Uchiha here are like. Look—"

His gaze shifted from Madara to Hashirama's face. "Is the village where the Senju Clan and Uchiha can walk side by side truly peaceful, or is it just a temporary illusion?"

Hashirama hearing this, Hashirama's smile faded slightly, but it quickly returned.

He didn't rush to refute, but looked at Natsu seriously, his tone as sincere as if he were making a promise he had kept hidden away, "Whether it's temporary or not, it's not up to me to decide, nor is it up to Ban to decide."

Time will tell. But I can guarantee that as long as Madara and I are alive, this village will never allow the Uchiha and Senju Clan to return to their past blood feuds."

Madara glanced at Hashirama but said nothing.

But there was no rebuttal in that glance.

Hashirama suddenly seemed to remember something, scratched his head, and gave Xia Natsu a thumbs-up somewhat embarrassedly. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Hashirama Senju, what's your name, young man?"

"Your Chakra reserves really startled me—to be honest, I've never seen many people in my life with more Chakra than myself. Just now on the street corner, I thought I was imagining things."

"Uchiha Natsu."

Madara raised an eyebrow slightly when he heard the surname "Uchiha," but still didn't say anything more.

Hashirama didn't seem to mind at all, and even started asking Natsu how he cultivated, and whether he could tell them the details.

There was no probing or hostility in his tone, only pure curiosity and admiration for the strong.

Ban stood to the side, arms crossed and expressionless, but Natsu noticed a fleeting smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Perhaps it was the thought that this Uchiha brat from the Flame Ninja Village could make Hashirama show such an inferior expression, or perhaps it was simply that Hashirama's perpetually over-enthusiastic enthusiasm left him speechless.

Watching this scene, Natsu suddenly felt that Madara in this world was much happier than Madara Uchiha on their side, who was betrayed by Black Zetsu his whole life.

At least he still has someone by his side who will drag him out for meatballs early in the morning, who will turn around and smile when he says "I'm not going," and who will be the first to stand up for him when anyone questions him.

Madara Uchiha in this world still has someone to keep him company.

That's enough.

Natsu picked up her teacup again and added in a leisurely tone, "But I'm a little curious—you two, one the Hokage and the other the Vice Hokage, aren't you sure it's alright to be wandering around the streets so early in the morning instead of going to the Hokage Building to review documents?"

Hashirama's smile froze on his face instantly, and he visibly felt guilty.

He scratched the back of his head, his eyes began to dart around, and he chuckled dryly twice, saying that Tobirama would handle today's work.

Standing beside him, Madara mercilessly exposed him. "Tobirama piled all the documents you were supposed to approve today onto my desk last night."

"So I'm not going today either." Hashirama was speechless, turned his head and muttered to himself that he'd have to treat Tobirama to a drink later.

Yaoyu leaned close to Yakumi's ear, lowering her voice but deliberately making sure Natsu could hear. "So it turns out that no matter which world you're in, the reasons for skipping work are pretty much the same."

Yakumi replied expressionlessly, saying that at least Natsu Yin wouldn't use an excuse like "going to see the cherry blossoms," and that Young Master Natsu never needed an excuse to skip work.

Natsu glanced at the two of them and said calmly to tell them to be quiet.

The two brothers immediately shut up, but they couldn't suppress the smile on their faces.

Hashirama didn't seem to care about their murmurs. Instead, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he leaned forward enthusiastically. "By the way, Natsu Yin, since you've come all this way to Konoha, how about we go sit in the Hokage Building?"

You've come from Flame Ninja Village, so you must have many things you're curious about in Konoha, right?

Perfect, I'd also like to hear about what's going on over there.

"That guy, Jin, always has a stern face whenever we meet, and he won't say a word when asked anything."

Madara remained silent with his arms crossed, but he did not stop Hashirama either.

For him, these few Uchiha clansmen from Flame Ninja Village might be able to provide some information about Uchiha King —the guy who managed to pull a branch of his clan away from under his nose and start his own faction, a fact that still bothered him to this day.

More importantly, the amount of Chakra this boy possesses is even less than that of Hashirama. We need to figure out what kind of status such a person holds in the Flame Ninja Village, and how many trump cards Uchiha King is hiding.

Natsu put down her teacup and exchanged a very brief glance with Yaoyu and Yakumi.

Yaoyu shrugged slightly to indicate that she didn't care, Yakumi remained unchanged, but her eyes conveyed the message, "It's up to you."

Natsu withdrew her gaze, nodded slightly to Hashirama, and said that since the Hokage had personally invited them, they would not refuse.

He said this in a calm tone, neither flattered nor deliberately distant.

"Great! Let's go, let's go, we can stop by that newly opened dango shop on the way—" Hashirama grabbed Madara's sleeve and started walking, but then suddenly remembered something, turned back and smiled sheepishly at Natsu.

"Uh, it's on the way, it really is on the way."

"That dumpling shop is in the opposite direction," Madara said expressionlessly, exposing his lie.

"Really? Then you have to go even if it's not on your way. It's on me." Hashirama changed his mind without batting an eye.

Natsu followed closely behind, with the Yaoyu and Yakumi trailing behind.

Yaoyu leaned closer to Yakumi's ear, this time lowering his voice even further. "You said that when Young Master Natsu went to the Hokage Building with them, was he really there to visit or to settle scores?"

Yakumi glanced at him sideways and replied with only four words: "Young Master Natsu Yin knows what he's doing."

Yaoyu thought for a moment, then realized she had asked a stupid question and shut up.

Madara walked at the very back, his deep Sharingan lingering for a moment on Natsu's back.

When he said, "I didn't come to see Konoha, I came to see the Uchiha of this village," there was a very subtle fluctuation in his tone.

Ban noticed it, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Some emotions can only be understood by the Uchiha.

The outline of the Hokage Building gradually became clear in the morning light. The newly built building still exuded the unique fragrance of new wood. Hashirama pushed open the main door with practiced ease, while Madara walked at the back with his arms crossed.

Natsu stepped onto the stone steps, she glanced up at the Land of Fire above the door. Yaoyu and Yakumi followed on either side of her, her Sharingan calmly observing the unfamiliar yet familiar Konoha before her.

The main hall of the Hokage Building was much simpler than Natsu had expected.