Shingetsu sipped her hot porridge. Beside her, Hashirama Senju stared at her with bright, intent eyes, his eager expression looking exactly like a cat owner watching his feline master eat.
Under his expectant gaze, she reluctantly ate a slice of shiitake mushroom, swallowing it whole with tremendous difficulty and making it clear through her actions that she refused to bite into it.
"Do you hate shiitake mushrooms that much?"
Hashirama Senju, whose favorite food was mushroom rice, muttered in bewilderment. Seeing Shingetsu frown like an unhappy cat made him want to tease her, but just as he reached out to pat her head, the conversation between Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju-which sounded more like an argument than a discussion-drew all his attention.
Unsurprisingly, the two were still arguing about Shingetsu, the mixed-blood child of both clans with a troublesome background. But whenever they discussed arrangements for her future, the atmosphere turned strangely tense, thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder.
"Are you planning to lock her up? What about the Ninja Academy? Are you going to stop her from attending that too?"
Realizing that Madara Uchiha intended to confine Shingetsu to the Uchiha Clan Compound, Tobirama Senju knitted his brows tightly and looked at him with utter displeasure. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, as though a single look could cleave the air.
"Madara Uchiha, let me remind you that you haven't been to the academy in a long time either!"
"Heh. Say whatever you like."
Naturally, none of this worked on Madara Uchiha. Faced with Tobirama's cold glare, Madara merely curled his lips into a cold, thoroughly mocking smile. Only when he looked at Shingetsu obediently drinking her porridge did his gaze grow tender and affectionate.
But that affectionate gaze, as though he were looking at a fragile infant, made Tobirama Senju's scalp prickle when he noticed it. He could only think that the man had grown even crazier.
"Shingetsu will only be safe by my side."
Having lost Izuna and nearly lost Shingetsu as well, Madara Uchiha was now suffering from severe PTSD. He wished he could simply stuff Shingetsu into his inventory and take her wherever he went.
But the Senju brothers could never agree with him. Tobirama Senju certainly could not allow the Senju Clan's next-generation Wood Release user to fall completely under Madara Uchiha's control, while Hashirama Senju did not want to see his close friend become so obsessive.
"Um, could I say a word or two?"
Seeing his dear younger brother and close friend on the verge of a fight, sweat trickled down Hashirama's forehead. He timidly interjected, hoping to play peacemaker and stop them from arguing, only for the furious Tobirama Senju and Madara Uchiha to snap at him in unison.
"Stay out of this, big brother!" / "This has nothing to do with you, Hashirama!"
"All right..."
Hashirama Senju obediently withdrew in silence and returned to his seat with his head hanging, looking as gloomy as a giant mushroom crouching in a corner. Sitting beside him, Shingetsu watched in surprise and mercilessly mocked him in her mind:
He's the God of Shinobi and the First Hokage, so why doesn't this guy have even a shred of authority?
After several mouthfuls of hot porridge, Shingetsu gradually regained her strength and ability to think. She finally had enough energy to recall the entire attack. Remembering the unconscious children at the Orphanage and the badly injured Chinatsu, she hurriedly put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and asked anxiously. Although she seemed to have asked these questions already, she still could not rest easy:
"How is the Orphanage? Is Chinatsu all right? And those three guys-who sent them?"
"Don't worry. Thanks to you, everyone is safe."
Seeing that her bowl was still more than half full, Hashirama Senju quickly pressed her back into her seat and pushed the bowl and chopsticks into her hands. He continued watching her eat while patiently answering her questions:
"The Orphanage is fine. The building was rebuilt ages ago. Chinatsu's injuries have healed too, and she's already back at the academy. As for those three guys..."
A cold glint flashed through Hashirama Senju's eyes as he spoke of the Beast Fang Trio who had attacked the Orphanage, but a warm, hearty smile soon bloomed on his face again.
"Rest assured, we've taken care of everything."
After the attack on the Orphanage, Konoha, a military organization in all but name, had demonstrated its extraordinary capabilities. Using the major shinobi clans' intelligence networks and interrogating those three corpses, Konoha quickly uncovered the bounty exchange behind the Beast Fang Trio and their employer.
And, of course, the Daimyō of the Five Great Nations lurking behind them.
During the month Shingetsu had spent unconscious, a furious Madara Uchiha had led a band of red-eyed Uchiha to first demolish every bounty exchange in the Land of Fire, then personally pay a visit to the Daimyō's Capital.
Loyal as he was, he not only brought about a change of rulers in the Land of Fire within a single week, but also summoned his Perfect Susanoo during the new Daimyō's inauguration ceremony and demolished the entire Tenshukaku by way of congratulations.
After experiencing the power of the Asura of the Ninja World firsthand, surely the Land of Fire's new Daimyō would not follow in his unfortunate father's footsteps and die mysteriously in a fire.
As for the Daimyō of the other four great nations, they too had the terrible misfortune of suffering various accidents. The degree of their misfortune rose according to how much money they had contributed to that bounty. The least fortunate reached the Pure Land early, while even the luckiest were driven from their thrones and stripped of their power. But for a Daimyō, losing power was probably even worse than being killed outright, wasn't it?
During that month, under the fury of the two strongest men, the Daimyō of the Five Great Nations finally learned what it meant to live without knowing whether they would survive the next day, and what it meant for an era to change.
The tactic they had once taken pride in-using money and benefits to lure shinobi from different clans into attacking one another-was utterly useless against the new shinobi village organizations.
After all, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had brought nearly every shinobi clan in the country together. No matter how much money a Daimyō offered, the remaining clans would not dare provoke that behemoth.
Besides, with those two titans around, only Daimyō and nobles whose minds had been rotted by power and arrogance would dare touch their sore spots. The consequences, however, were clearly more than they could bear.
Without realizing it, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju had actually brought about another sort of awakening.
After these events, every shinobi village, whether already established or still under construction, gained a completely new understanding of the one country, one village system and the noble Daimyō who had always lorded over them.
In the past, under the weight of a thousand years of tradition that placed Daimyō above shinobi, they might have willingly bowed and pledged allegiance. Now, however, every Kage had to consider whether to bring their fists and ninja tools when visiting a Daimyō, and whether to kill a disobedient one and install a more compliant replacement.
While Hashirama Senju reflected on everything that had happened over the past month, the argument between Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju entered a new phase.
"The village boundaries will be protected by a dedicated barrier in the future."
To persuade Madara Uchiha, Tobirama Senju revealed the village's future plans. In fact, he had already thought of establishing a barrier before the attack on the Orphanage, but the village's countless minor affairs had kept him from fitting it into his schedule.
The current situation, however, had convinced Tobirama that establishing a barrier was essential.
Over the past month, the village had drawn far too much attention and made countless enemies. To keep outside enemies away, protect civilians, and prevent spies from freely infiltrating the village again, Konoha urgently needed a barrier capable of protecting the entire village.
And across the entire shinobi world, the Uzumaki Clan, experts in Sealing Jutsu, were undoubtedly the best choice to establish it.
"Members of the Uzumaki Clan, our Senju Clan's allies and cousins, will come to Konoha to establish and maintain the barrier."
"The Uzumaki Clan's princess, Mito Uzumaki, will be coming too."
At the mention of Mito Uzumaki's name, Hashirama Senju's face instantly turned green. He slumped weakly over the table and beckoned to Tobirama:
"Could we ask them to send someone else?"
"What do you have to agonize over? Princess Mito is the strongest of the Uzumaki Clan's younger generation. Whether for public or private reasons, we have no grounds to turn her away!"
Veins bulged on Tobirama Senju's forehead. He glared viciously at the unreliable Hashirama, having already cursed him countless times in his mind-
Madara Uchiha hasn't even objected, yet you, Hashirama Senju, are already rushing to refuse! Bah, you disloyal bastard!
"But Tobirama, I'm a widower with a son. How could I marry the Uzumaki princess? Wouldn't that be holding her back?"
(The Jin no Sho explicitly stated that Mito came to Konoha to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Based on the timeline, she should have been Hashirama's second wife. See the author's note for the specifics of this setting.)
The moment gossip came up-especially gossip about Hashirama Senju-Shingetsu perked up. She lifted her head from her bowl and listened carefully. Hearing Mito Uzumaki's name in particular sent a flood of questions through her mind:
Isn't Mito Uzumaki Hashirama's wife? Why does he sound like he hasn't married her at all?
Then who gave birth to his son?
This matter went back to half a month earlier, when Hashirama Senju had sent a letter requesting assistance to Uzushio Village in the Land of Whirlpools in his capacity as clan head. Less than a week later, Hashirama received a reply from the Uzumaki Clan's head, Uzumaki Ashina.
The Uzumaki Clan readily agreed to the Senju Clan's request, but a marriage proposal arrived along with their reply.
"Princess Mito is among the very best in strength, looks, and status. Big brother, your wife passed away years ago. You can remarry now."
Unlike his reluctant older brother, Tobirama thought highly of Mito, who might become his future sister-in-law.
The Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan already had a tradition of intermarriage spanning generations. Just as he had said, Princess Mito could be considered the most outstanding female shinobi of this era. Having such a powerful woman join the Senju Clan and Konoha through marriage would undoubtedly be extremely beneficial.
Of course, it would be even better if he could hand over all responsibility for looking after his older brother to her. And perhaps the two powerful shinobi could produce the next heir to Wood Release.
"But I've never liked political marriages!"
Hashirama angrily pushed himself up from the table. He truly disliked the way Tobirama discussed people as though they were merchandise, and disliked his tone when speaking of his late wife even more. Thinking of his nearly grown son and Princess Mito, who was only a few years older than that son, made the whole thing seem even more absurd!
"My son is already this old! How is this a suitable match?"
Seeing that Hashirama Senju had now become the one about to argue with Tobirama until he was red in the face, Madara Uchiha, who had been left standing aside, clicked his tongue in irritation.
"If you two want to discuss family matters, get back to the Senju Clan Compound!"
Watching the Senju brothers suddenly start arguing about marriage, Madara Uchiha's face darkened. Completely uninterested in subjects like romance and marriage, he promptly raised his foot and kicked both men out the door.
"Madara Uchiha, you have to at least let my brother teach Uchiha Shingetsu!"
Even after being kicked outside, Tobirama Senju refused to give up. As he struggled to dodge Madara Uchiha's storm of attacks, he still remembered to shout at those inside:
"Only the Senju Clan-no, only Hashirama Senju can teach Shingetsu how to use the power of Wood Release!"
Pfft-
Shingetsu, who had just swallowed a mouthful of porridge, immediately spat it all back out upon hearing that.
"W-wait a second! So everyone knows I've awakened Wood Release now?!"
The kindhearted Hashirama, who had also been kicked outside by Madara and was still embroiled in pressure to marry at his age, casually answered her question.
"Yes. Everyone knows you're Tōka and Hōkaku's daughter now."
"What?!!!"
Before you continue