You can't leave

"What? Madara's been that cocky these past two days?! Tell him to wait by that new gadget this afternoon! I'd like to see how he's going to crush me!" Hashirama roared over the phone, his voice cracking.

Dave rubbed his ears and hung up... Bringing up Uncle Madara first really was the best way to get his uncle moving.

Next, Dave called Uncle Madara.

"What is it, brat? Who bullied you?" Madara's cold voice came through the phone. Cold as it was, Dave could still feel his concern.

"Uncle Madara, Brother Roku made another new gadget. Uncle said he wanted to challenge you, and he... he also said..." Dave put on an act, deliberately stumbling over his words.

Madara was still roaming the shinobi world. The phone signal's base station was over at Brother Roku's place, so all the phones in Konoha could communicate within Konoha.

To let Uncle Madara stay in touch with the village in real time, Dave and Orochiroku had specially hired some shinobi to obtain a thumb-sized piece of metal from the shinobi world's black market. Not only could the metal conduct chakra, it could also store signals. They installed it in Madara's phone, allowing him to contact the village in real time.

"Speak," Madara said coldly.

"Uncle... said... he could... crush you at this thing..." Dave slowly stammered out...

"Understood. I'll be back this afternoon." Madara went quiet for a moment, then said his piece and hung up.

That afternoon, outside the Love Kidney Phone Shop.

Madara and Hashirama had been staring each other down for quite some time... Seeing the two Konoha Dance Kings facing off, the villagers around them knew there had to be another contest to watch.

"Hashirama, I hear you're going to crush me?" Madara looked at Hashirama and asked slowly.

"Madara, you've already lost to me at dancing several times over these past few months. Heh, beating you? Wouldn't that be as easy as bullying Dave?" Hashirama answered with supreme arrogance.

Dave, standing nearby: ???

"Interesting." The corners of Madara's mouth curled.

"Dave, what's this new gadget you were talking about?" Hashirama asked, turning toward Dave.

"Uncle Wei, hurry and bring them out!" Dave called into the Phone Shop.

"Coming, little boss!" Wei answered, then carried out two box-shaped machines, each over a meter tall.

"These are claw machines. Inside are cotton-stuffed dolls made to look like you, Uncle Madara, and Father. See that claw inside? Use the joystick to move it above the doll you want, then press the button. The claw will drop, grab the doll, and send it out through the chute in the bottom-left corner. Then the doll's yours," Dave explained.

"That's it? That's it? Then crushing Madara will only take a few minutes!" Hashirama chuckled and declared proudly. He seemed brimming with confidence about this thing...

Uncle... you're getting more and more cheeky... Dave decided he would never spout that sort of smart-ass nonsense again... Just look at how badly he had corrupted the once-honest Hashirama!

Wasn't Aunt Mito going to keep him in line? Oh... I forgot... She's been leading the Senju Square Dance Group as they prepare to take on the Hyuga Clan Aunties' Square Dance Group these past few days...

Madara gave Hashirama a cold look, then walked up to a machine. Dave handed him a game token and pointed at the coin slot, telling him to drop it in.

The machine lit up after the game token went in.

Madara tried moving the joystick, then aimed at the Hashirama Senju doll and pressed the button. He watched the claw slowly descend and pick up the doll.

Watching from the side, Hashirama's smile slowly faded, while the corners of Madara's mouth gradually rose.

But just as the cord pulling the claw retracted to the top, the claw gave a cunning little shake, and the doll fell...

Now... Madara's smile slowly faded, while the corners of Hashirama's mouth gradually rose.

"Ahahahahaha!!! Madara! Is that all you've got?! Is that all?! Isn't playing this as easy as beating up Dave?! Hahahahaha!" Hashirama planted both hands on his hips and laughed uproariously as he mocked Madara.

Dave wiped the cold sweat off his face... Uncle, I haven't offended you lately... Why do you keep thinking about beating me up...?

"Again," Madara said, looking toward Dave. Dave hurriedly handed him another token.

At that moment, the aura around Madara suddenly intensified. A pair of crimson Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in his eyes. He stared at the claw machine before him, his right hand shooting out like a dragon to seize the stick, then worked the controls with ferocious speed. Watching the joystick move like a blur, Dave swallowed nervously...

"Bang!" Madara slammed his left hand down on the button.

This time, the claw held the doll firmly, and that cunning little shake failed to dislodge it.

Madara crouched and took the Hashirama Senju doll out of the chute. It was a chibi version.

Holding the doll, Madara slowly walked over to Hashirama. Looking at the frozen smile on his face, Madara grinned and handed the chibi Hashirama to the original Hashirama. He also flicked his eyes toward the machines behind him, signaling that it was Hashirama's turn.

"Hmph! Quit showing off, Madara. Watch closely. I'll get it on my first try!" Hashirama looked at the miniature version of himself in his hand, then snorted and slowly walked up to the other machine.

He had his eye on the chibi Madara. Dave handed him a token and waited to watch him play...

He had known Madara could win. Whether Hashirama could... he had no idea... With Hashirama's luck... it was doubtful...

Sure enough, after twenty tokens...

"Dave! Give your uncle another token! I'll definitely win this time!" Hashirama Senju shouted excitedly, his eyes red like a gambler in the grip of his addiction.

"Uncle... um... I only prepared twenty-odd tokens today... We've used them all... If you still want to play... they're five ryo each inside the shop," Dave said with a helpless, wry smile.

Without another word, Hashirama Senju went straight inside and exchanged a thousand-ryo bill for tokens, then continued his struggle at the claw machine!

Night fell... The villagers watching had all grown sleepy and gone home to bed... Only Madara and Dave remained with Hashirama as he kept trying to catch a doll... Finally, when Uncle Wei and Aunt Cai needed to go home and the shop had to close, Hashirama gave up...

"Hashirama, you lost this time," Madara said haughtily with a smile, looking at Hashirama, who had squandered all three thousand ryo on him without catching a single doll.

"Madara! Aaaaah!! I refuse to believe it! We're coming back tomorrow! Don't you dare run!"

"No. A loss is a loss. I won this time. I'm leaving shortly."

"No! You can't leave! I have to beat you!" Hashirama grabbed his leg, his expression making it clear that Madara would have to drag him along if he left.

"Hashirama!! Let go!! A loss is a loss!!"

"I won't admit it! I won't accept it! I have to beat you!!"

"Hashirama!!"

"Madara!!"