While Shingetsu and Madara chatted atop Hokage Rock, two furtive figures lurked in a sheltered spot behind them, secretly watching the master and disciple's every move.
"That damn Madara Uchiha! If he likes kids so much, he should raise one himself! What's so impressive about stealing someone else's child?"
Watching her precious daughter Shingetsu sit obediently in that detestable man's arms, Senju Toka ground her teeth in fury. Bitter jealousy churned on her tongue as fresh grievances and old grudges surged up together.
If Madara Uchiha hadn't kept getting in her way, she would have killed Uchiha Hōkaku and taken Shingetsu home long ago. How else would she have ended up in this miserable state, separated from her own flesh and blood?
"Just shut up already! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Pressed tightly against Tōka's side, Uchiha Hōkaku nearly had a heart attack at her words! To keep them both alive, he hurriedly put a stop to Senju Tōka's suicidal behavior. Tōka promptly turned her anger on him.
"What are you doing hiding here, anyway? Can't you see I already claimed this spot?"
Whether it was the rivalry between sworn enemies or simply an uncanny understanding, Tōka and Hōkaku had chosen the same hiding place without consulting each other. Unfortunately, it was cramped, and neither would give way, leaving them pressed tightly together.
"Hmph, leave if you don't like it! I'm not giving this spot up to you."
Sparks of fury flew between their locked gazes. The hostilities Madara's fists had only just suppressed flared up again. Just as Tōka and Hōkaku were about to launch into yet another shouting match, a pair of broad, powerful hands settled firmly on their shoulders.
"Shh, don't fight, you two. We wouldn't want to disturb them."
Hashirama Senju had appeared behind them without their noticing, gently mediating like a kindly soul. A truly kindly soul, however, wouldn't suddenly appear behind people, much less hide in the shadows to spy on others just as they were doing.
Senju Toka and Uchiha Hōkaku's hair stood on end. Neither had sensed Hashirama Senju's presence at all just now. In other words, if he had wanted to, he could have killed them both in that instant.
Before such overwhelming strength, any resistance would be nothing more than a dying struggle. The greatest blessing of living in the same era as someone so powerful was being on his side. The greatest misfortune was probably having a secret that absolutely had to be kept from him, only to face him right in front of that very secret.
In a flash, Tōka and Hōkaku exchanged looks, trying to agree on a strategy against their common threat. It was useless, though. Some people could start an argument with nothing more than eye contact.
Did he hear what we just said?
Probably not. If he had, we'd already be tied up with Wood Release.
This is all your big mouth's fault! That's why I told you to shut up!
Uchiha Hōkaku, fuck you, &￥#@%... (a thousand words of profanity omitted)
*Senju Toka, fuck you, %@￥... (a thousand words of profanity omitted)
"Haha, it's been ages since I've seen Madara so happy."
In the end, Hashirama was the one who successfully interrupted their endless quarrel.
He squeezed Tōka and Hōkaku aside and unceremoniously claimed every bit of the best vantage point. His bright eyes followed Madara Uchiha's every movement as he sat at the cliff's edge, a faint, relieved smile lingering on his lips.
Yet no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't remember who the child in Madara's arms was. That was hardly normal. Konoha had yet to experience its first baby boom, and the village's children could be counted on one's fingers. Hashirama Senju knew every one of them. Surely, if he had ever seen such a pretty child who was so close to Madara in the village, he couldn't possibly have forgotten her.
The only explanation was that she had always lived inside the Uchiha Clan Compound and had never come into the village.
Hashirama Senju was curious. Just what sort of child would the Uchiha Clan treasure so much that they kept her hidden away?
"Who's the child Madara's holding? How come I've never seen her before? Do you two know her?"
Know her? That's our kid!
Cold sweat had already soaked Senju Toka's back. Hashirama Senju finding out about this was as good as Tobirama Senju finding out, and Tobirama Senju finding out was practically a death sentence!
"She's probably an Uchiha child. How would I know her? Haha! Hey, Uchiha Hōkaku, do you know her?"
"I, I, of course I know her. She's our clan leader Madara Uchiha's disciple. Her, her name is..."
Hashirama Senju was indeed a gentle, generous man, and sometimes he even seemed easy to push around, but he was certainly no fool. Though Madara's interaction with the child had occupied all his attention a moment ago, he immediately turned and gave his own clan's elder and the other clan's elder a thoughtful look.
"Oh, is that so?"
With that, he stood up from their hiding place and strode toward Madara and Shingetsu.
"Since neither of you knows much, I'll just ask Madara myself."
We're doomed!!!
Tōka and Hōkaku stood frozen like stones, their eyes wide with terror. They looked at Hashirama Senju's retreating back, then toward Madara Uchiha and Shingetsu. Their vision seemed to go dark, and they wished they could simply faint.
"Well said! Children should grow up and get stronger under the protection of adults."
Hashirama Senju carefully considered the suggestions Shingetsu had just made. Some of her ideas matched his own perfectly. Delighted from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to spend an entire day and night discussing them with Madara and this unfamiliar child, then leave all the work to his dear little brother Tobirama and open the Ninja Academy tomorrow.
Yet the girl who had been chattering excitedly just a moment ago fell silent the instant he approached. Not only did she look frightened, but she kept trying to hide herself in Madara's arms.
Hashirama, who considered himself extremely approachable, scratched his head in dismay. Was he really that unpopular with children?
"Madara, who is this child?"
Hashirama Senju sat cross-legged beside Madara Uchiha, using the Hokage Robe that symbolized his position as a cushion beneath him. His curious gaze kept drifting toward Shingetsu, who showed him only the back of her head. Madara Uchiha shot him a displeased glance and held her tighter.
"Hmph, didn't Hōkaku just tell you? She's my disciple, Uchiha Shingetsu."
A ninja's five senses far surpassed those of ordinary people. He had noticed Toka and Hōkaku's movements as soon as they began spying on him; he simply hadn't bothered to acknowledge them. Nothing that followed had escaped his extraordinary perception, either.
"You never mentioned her before. Did you only take her on recently?"
Hashirama nodded. It wasn't unusual for powerful people like them to take disciples. He himself had recently taken Hiruzen Sarutobi as his disciple. He suspected that hearing about this had spurred Madara to start choosing a disciple of his own. Still, Madara had always been picky, so this child named Uchiha Shingetsu surely possessed exceptional talent.
Perhaps he could arrange for Hiruzen and the children around Tobirama to meet her another day. A child like Shingetsu, who stayed in the clan compound all the time, probably didn't have many friends.
Hashirama gently patted Shingetsu's back. When she cautiously turned her head halfway to peek at him, he put on his trademark sunny smile and reached out, hoping to hold this adorable little girl.
"Hi, little one. Can I give you a cuddle?"
Shingetsu's answer was to burrow even deeper into Madara's arms. She did her best to curl into a ball, looking as though she had decided to hide in his embrace for the rest of her life. Though she said nothing, every strand of hair and every inch of skin conveyed an unmistakable refusal. Devastated, Hashirama instantly sank into gloom. He withdrew his outstretched hands, his face filled with sorrow and dejection, and weakly asked the gloating Madara:
"Madara, am I really that scary?"
"Sorry, Hashirama. She's shy around strangers."
Madara's smile held no trace of apology. He smugly hugged Shingetsu, who was determined to cling to him. Normally, Hashirama was the one children clung to. Having their roles reversed gave him a strangely satisfying little thrill.
Refusing to give up, Hashirama held out a hand, and a little white flower bloomed in his palm. He presented it to Shingetsu as though offering a treasure, a delicate fragrance drifting softly around its petals.
"Look, Shingetsu. What a pretty flower."
Shingetsu felt nothing and even silently rolled her eyes. She wasn't actually some five-year-old brat. This trick was far too stupid.
Seeing that Shingetsu remained unmoved by his little trick, Hashirama Senju sank into dejection again. With drooping shoulders and a bowed head, he muttered endlessly like an oversized cockroach. A vein bulged on Madara Uchiha's forehead as he snapped in irritation:
"Enough! Haven't you cured that habit of getting depressed over every little thing yet?"
Then he stuffed Shingetsu straight into Hashirama's arms. Shingetsu, caught completely off guard by being handed to Hashirama Senju, stared blankly and instinctively looked to Madara Uchiha for help. Madara, however, mercilessly declared:
"You can only hold her for a little while!"
Master, how could you hand me over to Hashirama Senju?!
So love really does fade, huh? I'm telling you, you've lost me!
Hashirama Senju hurriedly secured the child in his arms, feeling deeply satisfied. Though this child named Shingetsu didn't like him, she still stayed obediently in his embrace and seemed very well-behaved and sensible. He couldn't help comparing her to Hiruzen Sarutobi, that rotten monkey who spent all day making trouble. Hiruzen was smelly and dirty, while Shingetsu was a sweet-smelling, soft little bundle. Holding her felt indescribably comfortable.
The girl's face was as delicate and lovely as a rose. Sunlight caressed her fair skin, her dark eyes shone with a pearly luster, and her rosy cheeks resembled two red rose petals. She was countless times cuter than the monkey-faced Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Comparing disciples was bound to make a person miserable. Clever, cute, obedient, and sensible Shingetsu was worlds apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was already a little lecher at his tender age. Hashirama Senju suddenly raised his head and looked at Madara Uchiha with a serious expression.
"Madara, why don't we swap disciples? I'll give you Hiruzen, and Shingetsu can be my disciple. How about it?"
"Don't even think about it. I don't want a monkey for a disciple!"
"No! I don't want a different master!"
Shingetsu, who had remained silent until now, also rejected this terrible idea. Hashirama stared at her serious expression and found it remarkably familiar-the child's stern face really did resemble Tobirama's as a boy. They both looked like precocious little adults.
Children should act like children. What was so good about growing up that early?
Suddenly, Hashirama's smile froze. He abruptly grabbed Shingetsu's hand and stared at her in shock. Confronted without warning by Hashirama Senju's face looming before her, Shingetsu was so frightened that her heart nearly stopped.
"This child..."
At Hashirama Senju's hesitant words, both Madara and Shingetsu felt a chill down their backs. Had this guy noticed something?
Madara fell silent for a moment, then decided to seize the initiative. Folding his arms, he looked down at the disbelieving Hashirama Senju and demanded:
"Hashirama, what are you trying to say?"
"I... don't know why, but there's something about this child that feels very close to me."
No kidding. My mom, Tōka, is your younger clanswoman. That makes you my distant uncle. How could you not feel close to me?
A chill ran down Shingetsu's back, and she hurriedly cast Madara Uchiha a pleading look. Madara's expression remained unchanged, but cold sweat began to seep down his back, too. He couldn't understand it. How had the usually oblivious Hashirama suddenly become so perceptive?
"Hmph, don't you feel close to every child you meet?"
Feigning exasperation, Madara snatched Shingetsu back into his arms. Yet Hashirama Senju's gaze remained fixed on her, making her scalp prickle.
"Not that sort of closeness! How do I describe it? It's like... a feeling even closer than a blood connection..."
At those words, Shingetsu inwardly cried out in alarm, her heart lurching. Great. Hashirama Senju had seen right through her Golden Finger!
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