The name Hashirama stirred up memories for Madara Uchiha.
He never expected that a woman would have such a name.
However, this is not surprising, as in this ancient era, there were no established concepts regarding naming.
When faced with Madara Uchiha's question, Kushinadahime did not show any fear, but instead frowned slightly.
Are you here to laugh at me too?
Mocking? Madara Uchiha coldly. He was about to deny that Kushinadahime was a good match for the name, but then he remembered the woman's attitude towards him.
She wasn't afraid of herself, and she shared the same foolishness as that man.
Even its ability is to accelerate the growth of rice.
More importantly, like that man, she constantly talks about love and compassion.
Haha, she really is a female version of Hashirama.
Madara Uchiha had a nonchalant expression on his face, yet his actions inexplicably helped Kushinadahime loosen the soil and fertilize the rice paddies.
Madara Uchiha, who came from a later era, grew up in the Warring States period.
He wasn't the kind of ninja who didn't eat grains.
Having witnessed the suffering of ordinary people since childhood, I wanted to end wars and bring peace to the world.
Therefore, Madara Uchiha had some knowledge of how farmers cultivate the land.
Kushinadahime, although she has the ability to ripen rice, is more of a self-taught researcher when it comes to farming.
It Madara Uchiha inherited from a thousand years in the future.
With his guidance, Kushinadahime learned a great deal about how to fertilize, how to irrigate, and how to control the spacing of the rice plants.
Kushinadahime nodded repeatedly, a bright smile involuntarily spreading across her face.
She stood in the rice paddy, hands on her hips, laughing heartily, completely disregarding her image.
This unladylike behavior caused Madara Uchiha to momentarily lose his composure.
The Toyouke-no-Kami and Ōtoshi-no-Kami watched from afar as Madara Uchiha and Kushinadahime developed a tacit understanding.
They exchanged a glance and then quietly left.
Having been rebuffed by Kushinadahime, the two became increasingly angry as they returned home.
"That woman, what right does she have?" Toyouke-no-Kami sat on the roots of a withered tree, kicking a stone far away. "We are, after all, the righteous gods of Takamagahara, and she's just a farmer who doesn't even know Senjutsu, yet she puts on airs in front of us."
The Ōtoshi-no-Kami squatted down beside him, holding a withered blade of grass in his hand, and remained silent for a long time.
But his silence doesn't mean he doesn't hate. He was speechless after being silenced by Kushinadahime's words, "Then let's destroy it," and the feeling still lingers in his chest.
No matter how bad Takamagahara, it's still their root.
What right does Kushinadahime, a lowly goddess from the mountains, have to decide for them Takamagahara should perish?
"Tell me, what exactly does Lord Madara see in her?" Toyouke-no-Kami asked in a low voice. "We've served Lord Madara for so many days, Lord Madara ever even given her a second glance?"
"She's like a person."
"Ōtoshi-no-Kami said something rather mysteriously."
"Who does he look like?" Toyouke-no-Kami whispered in his ear.
"I don't know. But the expression on Lord Madara's face when he talks to her is completely different from when he looks at us."
The Ōtoshi-no-Kami broke the withered grass in two.
"With her around, Lord Madara will never give us a second glance. If she's not here, Lord Madara might remember that there are other gods in this camp."
Toyouke-no-Kami raised his head, and his expression slowly changed.
"What do you mean?"
"It's nothing." Ōtoshi-no-Kami threw the broken pieces of withered grass on the ground. "I just feel that some people shouldn't be in the middle."
"I heard what you were saying."
The two were startled and turned to look, only to see an old man hiding behind Taiseki, his withered head peeking out.
The two rushed over, one grabbing his arm and the other covering his mouth.
Both of them knew this deity.
He was the most inconspicuous kind of god in Takamagahara.
He wields the power of plague, and wherever he goes, he carries a faint stench of decay, so no one ever wants to be around him.
He was very short, with a slightly hunched back, and his face was covered in wrinkles like cracked tree bark. His eyes were always half-closed, as if he would never wake up.
Do you want to tell on me?
"Don't be afraid." The Plague God slowly squatted down. "I won't report you. I can see it too; the Inadaki and we are not on the same side."
If he continues to associate with Lord Madara, then Lord Madara will never heed our advice.
"What do you want?" Ōtoshi-no-Kami asked.
The Plague God took out a small cloth bag from his bosom.
When you open it, you'll find a few dark red, dried leaves inside, with a very faint sweet smell.
"This was made using the power of my own plague. But those who eat it will rot from the inside out."
Start with the internal organs, then the bones, and finally the skin and flesh.
Outsiders wouldn't be able to tell; they would just assume she died of illness.
Even if Lord Madara is incredibly skilled, he can't detect the poison. Because this isn't poison, it's a plague!
Toyouke-no-Kami looked at the few dried leaves, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"You dare?"
"I dare! Takamagahara is gone, none of us will survive. If she doesn't die, we'll never have a chance!"
After exchanging glances, the three fell silent and quietly retreated in a direction away from the God Tree.
As darkness fell, the moon cast a silvery glow over the entire earth.
The gods who had pledged allegiance to Ban squatted in front of their respective wooden huts, waiting to share their spoils.
Kushinadahime was not there. She was still in the rice paddies to the south, loosening the soil around the rice stalks by moonlight.
The millet has been growing ears quickly these past few days, and she's worried that the wind at night might break the ears.
Food is Toyouke-no-Kami.
He carried a large bowl of cooked porridge to the spot where Ban was sitting and respectfully placed it in front of Ban.
Ban didn't look at him, but simply picked up the bowl, tilted his head back, and took a sip.
Toyouke-no-Kami's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He stepped back, filled another bowl, and headed towards the rice paddies to the south.
When Kushinadahime took the bowl, she was patting the mud off her hands.
"Why did you decide to bring me food today?" she asked casually.
"It was Lord Madara's order," Toyouke-no-Kami, bowing his head.
Kushinadahime glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.
She picked up the bowl and drank most of the porridge.
The Toyouke-no-Kami stood beside her, watching her put down the bowl.
He picked up the empty bowl, turned around, and walked back.
He walked more than ten steps before daring to turn back. Kushinadahime had already squatted down again and continued to loosen the soil around the rice plants.
Her movements were steady, as if nothing had happened.
Toyouke-no-Kami breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could fully exhale, a very faint thud came from behind him.
He turned around and saw that Kushinadahime had collapsed on the edge of the paddy field.
She was still clutching the wooden stick she used to loosen the soil, curled up in a ball, her face as white as paper in the moonlight.