At this point, he looked at Madara.
"Especially you."
Madara snorted.
"Do I look like someone who only knows how to fight?"
Hashirama nodded instinctively.
Madara's eyes immediately snapped toward him.
Hashirama quickly changed his answer. "No, not at all."
Tobirama looked up and said calmly, "Brother, you changed your answer too quickly. That wasn't convincing at all."
Hashirama's face fell on the spot.
Zhang Yu ignored their bickering and continued, "This time, you'll be setting out with Team 7."
"Kakashi will lead the team, and the client is Tazuna."
"On the surface, it's an escort mission, but the actual situation isn't that simple."
Hashirama frowned. "Is there a problem with the mission?"
Zhang Yu chuckled.
"There is."
"To save money, Tazuna reported a high-risk mission as an ordinary C-rank mission."
"You'll most likely encounter enemies on the road."
"But for you two, they won't be much trouble."
Madara's face showed clear disdain after hearing this.
"He concealed the mission's difficulty and sent a bunch of fresh graduates to their deaths?"
"Does a client like that deserve a ninja's protection?"
Hashirama sighed.
"Madara, don't say that just yet."
"Maybe he has his reasons."
Madara gave him a cold look.
"Hashirama, there's that old habit of yours again."
"Do his reasons make it all right to lie?"
"Who are the ones who die?"
"The ninja carrying out the mission."
Hashirama was at a loss for words.
Zhang Yu tapped the tabletop.
"So besides recruiting, keep an eye on things while you're there."
"Team 7 is still young. Don't let anything happen to them."
Hashirama nodded at once.
"Don't worry, boss."
Madara said nothing and simply picked up the documents.
Zhang Yu added another remark at his leisure.
"Once the mission is complete, two bottles of vodka each."
A moment ago, Hashirama had looked completely serious.
The instant he heard that, his whole face lit up.
"Two bottles?"
Zhang Yu nodded.
"Two bottles each."
Hashirama immediately stood up straight and thumped his chest. "Leave it to us, boss!"
"Leave this mission to Madara and me. We'll definitely get it done!"
"Forget the Land of Waves-even if it were the Land of Water, I'd make the trip for you!"
Madara glanced at him.
"Have some dignity."
Hashirama looked at Madara.
"You don't want them?"
Madara fell silent for half a second.
"The mission must be completed, naturally."
Izuna poked his head out of the kitchen, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Tobirama, meanwhile, silently wrote a line in the ledger.
[Fieldwork reward: four bottles of vodka.]
Zhang Yu saw it and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"You two get ready and set out immediately."
Hashirama and Madara took the documents.
One was in high spirits.
The other wore a cold expression.
But both of them moved quickly.
Before long, the two walked out of the Undead Tavern side by side and headed for Konoha's gate.
At Konoha's gate.
Kakashi Hatake had already arrived.
This time, not only was he not late, he had even arrived fifteen minutes before the appointed time.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stood off to one side.
Their client, Tazuna, had a pack on his back and leaned on a walking stick, impatience written all over his face.
Naruto stared at Kakashi again and again before finally saying, "Kakashi-sensei, you're not late again today?"
Sakura found it a little strange too.
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei seems to have gotten more diligent lately."
Sasuke had his hands in his pockets as he said coldly, "Maybe something shook him up."
The corner of Kakashi's eye twitched.
Something shook me up?
That's putting it mildly.
For the past month, whenever he thought of those people at the Undead Tavern, he hadn't slept very soundly at night.
Especially with this mission.
Zhang Yu had told him in advance that he would have Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha accompany them.
After Kakashi heard the news, he hadn't slept well for days.
Those were the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha.
Those two were going on a mission with Team 7?
Even now, Kakashi felt like he was dreaming.
He glanced down at the mission report in his hand, then looked at the road outside the village.
He looked relaxed on the surface.
Inside, he was tense.
Naruto was still muttering nearby.
"How weird."
"Didn't Kakashi-sensei used to love being late?"
Kakashi sighed.
"Naruto, teachers grow too."
Naruto looked skeptical.
"Really?"
Sakura nodded. "I don't really believe it either."
Kakashi: "..."
Just then, footsteps sounded from the road inside the village.
Hashirama and Madara walked over side by side.
One was tall and broad, with a gentle smile.
The other had long hair falling over his shoulders and a sharp presence.
Neither of them was releasing Chakra, yet the people at the gate instinctively fell silent for a moment.
Sakura instinctively lowered her voice.
"Are these two the ones coming with us this time?"
Sasuke's gaze went straight to Madara.
He didn't know why.
The moment he saw the long-haired man, he had a very uncomfortable feeling.
Naruto, however, didn't think that much about it.
When he saw Hashirama and Madara, his eyes lit up.
"It's you!"
"Those two super-strong uncles from the bell test last time!"
Hashirama's footsteps stopped.
"Uncle..."
Madara's expression also turned a shade colder.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly cleared his throat.
"Naruto, mind your manners."
But Naruto paid him no attention.
He rushed up to Hashirama in a few steps and looked up at him.
"Uncle, you're really strong!"
"Last time, you sent me flying with one flick of your finger!"
"Can you teach me how to train?"
Hashirama was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
"You want to learn?"
"Of course I do!"
Naruto clenched his fists, his face full of excitement.
"I'm going to get really, really strong!"
"Then I'll become Hokage and make everyone acknowledge me!"
Hashirama looked at Naruto's bright eyes, and his expression softened considerably.
"That's a good dream."
Madara said coldly, "Shouting slogans alone is useless."
Naruto immediately looked at Madara.
"Then you can teach me instead!"
"You're really strong too!"
Kakashi's eyelid twitched violently.
Have Madara Uchiha teach Naruto?
The thought alone was absurd.
Sasuke stood nearby, his lips moving slightly.
He actually wanted to ask too.
During the last bell test, he had experienced Madara's strength firsthand.
The gap between them was beyond anything an ordinary jonin could match.
He wanted to become stronger.
He wanted revenge.
He wanted to kill that man.
If I could learn how to gain power from this Madara Uchiha...
Sasuke's fingers tightened slightly.
But he was accustomed to being proud.
He couldn't bring himself to rush up and ask to be taught like Naruto.
As it happened, Naruto noticed his expression.
"Sasuke, do you want to learn too?"
Sasuke's expression turned cold.
"No."
Naruto grinned.
"Liar!"
"You were staring at that long-haired guy the whole time!"
"You definitely want him to take you as his disciple too!"
Sasuke's face darkened.
"Shut up, dead last."
Naruto bristled at once.
"Who are you calling dead last?!"
Sasuke said coldly, "You."
Naruto pointed at Sasuke and shouted, "You stuck-up Sasuke!"
Sasuke raised his voice too. "Dead-last Naruto!"
As soon as the two fell into that familiar rhythm of bickering, Hashirama and Madara's eyes flickered almost at the same time.
That feeling was all too familiar.
So familiar it was as if it had been carved into their instincts.
Hashirama turned his head instinctively. "Madara!"
Almost at the same time, Madara said coldly, "Hashirama!"