Along the way, the two chatted freely. The unfamiliarity from their first meeting had long faded, and the tacit understanding from being on the same wavelength made them grow closer and closer.
In the middle of their idle talk, Senju Hashirama suddenly stopped.
There was a hint of earnestness and awkwardness in Hashirama's eyes. He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head and looked at Uchiha Madara with a slightly pleading expression. "Um, Madara, could you help me find someone?"
"Oh?"
Uchiha Madara paused slightly at the words. A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, then he readily agreed, "Sure. Who are we looking for?"
"He's a pen pal I've had for a long time. I've never seen what he really looks like, I only know his pseudonym."
Hashirama's eyes lit up instantly, his tone full of joy and agreement. "He also lives in Konoha. Most importantly, his ideals are exactly the same as ours."
"He's always been thinking about ending the chaotic era and protecting our clans so they can live in peace!"
"There's actually someone like that who shares the same aspirations?"
Madara immediately became interested. He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of eagerness. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I'd like to meet this kindred spirit. Hurry up and tell me his pseudonym."
Seeing how invested Madara was, Hashirama didn't hide anything and immediately told him truthfully, "His pseudonym is Kazu Kazu."
The moment those three words entered his ears, the smile on Madara's face froze abruptly, and his expression tightened.
The step he had just taken stiffened instantly. He stood there as if rooted to the spot, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Madara? What's wrong?"
Hashirama's heart suddenly tightened. The joy on his face vanished in an instant, and he looked at Madara at a loss, nervously clenching his hands.
Did I say something wrong again?
"N-no, it's nothing."
Madara came back to his senses, his expression extremely strange.
He looked Hashirama up and down, who still had a confused look on his face, and said in a tone mixed with teasing and helpless laughter, "Hashirama, you wouldn't happen to also have a pseudonym called 'Vegetative Person,' would you?"
Hashirama was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and laughed in admiration. "Madara, you're amazing! You even know that!"
But only a moment after the words fell, his slow-reacting brain finally caught up. The smile on his face froze, and he looked at Madara in shock. "Wait, Madara, how do you know my pseudonym?
"That's a secret between me and my pen pal!"
Seeing Hashirama's belatedly realizing, simple and honest expression, Madara was momentarily stunned.
Then he couldn't help but burst out laughing. Relief and surprise filled his brows and eyes as he reached out and patted Hashirama on the shoulder. "So it was you! Senju Hashirama, I'm Hana Hana!"
"Hana Hana… Kazu Kazu?!"
Hashirama repeated the two names over and over, then suddenly understood. Extreme excitement burst out in his eyes as he stared at Madara, his tone full of agitation. "Is it really you?! I didn't expect us to be this fated!"
Realizing that they were the pen pals who had known each other in spirit for so long, the joy in their hearts was almost overflowing.
The two of them only felt that the heavens had arranged this.
They hadn't expected such a coincidence.
Their relationship became even better.
Their closeness shot up rapidly.
"Hashirama, you just defected over here. You probably didn't bring much money with you."
"What do you want to eat? I heard a new ramen shop opened nearby. The taste is pretty good. My treat, I'll take all of you to try it.", Madara said with a smile, his tone warm.
"Hahaha! Madara, it really feels like we met too late!"
Hashirama laughed until his eyes curved, full of joy. Not caring about anyone else, he directly reached out and hooked an arm around Madara's shoulders.
The two tall youths stood side by side, their hearty laughter echoing through the streets.
Suddenly...
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Two deliberate coughs rang out, abruptly cutting off their cheerful laughter.
Madara and Hashirama subconsciously turned their heads. Behind them, their four younger brothers stood there, staring at them with all kinds of strange looks. The atmosphere instantly became a bit subtle.
Uchiha Izuna puffed out his cheeks, arms crossed, glaring at Senju Hashirama with hostility, full of dissatisfaction. 'Brother, why are you so close to him?'
Senju Tobirama, on the other hand, curled his lips coldly, his brows tightly furrowed. His gaze was complicated and suspicious as he stared at his older brother.
The clan had always said that big brother was colluding with the enemy. 'I didn't believe it before, but looking at him now… no matter how I see it, it really does look like he's colluding with the enemy.'
Under their younger brothers' stares, the two exchanged a glance and instantly restrained their earlier intimacy.
They put back on the steady demeanor of older brothers.
Hashirama and Madara straightened their expressions and spoke in unison, "Alright, don't just stand there. Let's go eat ramen together."
But even though they deliberately kept some distance, the joy and tacit understanding flowing through their eyes still showed in the way they looked at each other, full of little glances and subtle movements.
Tobirama and Izuna were both about to lose it.
———
A few days later, Uchiha Tajima returned from carrying out a mission outside.
"Grandfather, the son of the Senju clan head… if we don't keep him under strict watch like this, could it…"
Inside the elders' building, Uchiha Tajima hesitated to speak.
Arisu simply raised his hand slightly. "No need to be nervous. They're just a few children. They can serve as a very good example, attracting more people to defect and come over to Konoha."
"In a few years, many people from various clans will defect and sneak over to our Konoha."
"As the saying goes, when flowers are fragrant, butterflies come on their own."
Arisu's words made Uchiha Tajima nod.
"Grandfather is wise."
"But grandfather, the son of the Senju clan head running over to our side... won't that cause a battle? What if that guy Senju Butsuma demands we hand him over?", Uchiha Tajima asked.
"If they want to start a war, then that's perfect. We'll take them down in one fell swoop."
"If they come asking for him, we absolutely won't hand him over. We need to let the entire ninja world see that anyone who defects to our side will be protected without exception.", Arisu said.
At that moment, an Anbu member hurried in to report.
"Report to the two elders, a letter has arrived from the Senju.", As he spoke, he handed it directly to Arisu.
Arisu took the letter, then passed it to Uchiha Tajima. "Heh, Senju Butsuma only just found out that his son ran over to our side."
"It took him so many days to find out, and that's without us blocking information. It just shows that the Senju clan's intelligence system has already collapsed.", Arisu said calmly.
Uchiha Tajima took the letter and looked at it.
"Return my son immediately. If you refuse to return him within three days, I, Senju Butsuma, will destroy Konoha Village at all costs!"
"Hah?! Has Senju Butsuma been drinking too much?"
After reading the warning letter, Uchiha Tajima couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Arisu also smiled faintly.
For the current Senju, wanting to destroy Konoha was simply impossible.
Konoha's strength didn't lie in the Uchiha or the Hyuga, but in its stable logistics and powerful intelligence. Once Konoha's war machine started operating...
If the Senju tried to stand in front of it with just one clan's strength, they would only be easily crushed.