"Then, Mom… does that mean we're part of that small group?" the little girl asked, blinking her bright eyes as she looked up at her mother.
The woman gently stroked her head and smiled.
"Yes… we are one of the lucky few."
"We're really fortunate," the fruit vendor said excitedly. "To think we actually got to see a Celestial Dragon in our lifetime."
Of course—
Their understanding of Celestial Dragons was far too shallow.
If they truly knew what those nobles were like—
They wouldn't feel honored.
They would feel lucky just to have survived.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
Outside the fruit stall, a group of men in black suits stopped.
After checking the note in their hands, one of them said,
"This is the place."
Inside, the vendor noticed customers had arrived and hurried out, smiling warmly.
"What would you like?"
The man in black didn't answer. Instead, he asked:
"You're the owner here?"
"Yes… I am."
The vendor nodded, though a sense of unease crept into his heart.
Were they here to cause trouble?
"If you'd like anything, just take it. It's free," he added nervously.
"Yesterday… did Saint Aurelius D. Virel ·Is come here and dig out a brick?" the man asked.
"Yes, yes—… no! No one came here yesterday."
The vendor corrected himself quickly.
Until he understood their intentions—
He wouldn't admit anything.
"We're not here to cause trouble," the man said calmly. "We were sent under the orders of the great Saint Aurelius D. Virel ·Is to compensate you."
With a gesture—
Another suited man stepped forward, placing a large chest on the fruit stand.
"This contains valuables worth one hundred million Beli. Take it."
"On… one hundred million Beli?!"
The vendor froze.
In this world, that amount of money—
Was enough to make someone wealthy.
But to a Celestial Dragon—
It was nothing.
"Yes. One hundred million."
"That's too much, far too much! He only dug out a brick, there's no need for compensation!" the vendor quickly refused.
To Is, it was insignificant—
But to the vendor, it was overwhelming.
"We're not here to negotiate," the man said flatly. "We're only here to inform you. Whether you accept it or not is your choice. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving."
"…Alright. Safe travels."
The men nodded and left.
The vendor stared at the chest for several minutes.
Then—
He hurriedly carried it inside and immediately shut down his stall.
With that kind of money—
Why sell fruit anymore?
Some time later—
Mary Geoise.
Inside Is' castle—
Hashirama Senju and Is sat on the sofa, quietly reading the newspaper.
The next moment—
Is' expression twitched slightly.
"…Seriously? I've somehow become a world hero again?"
Looking at the bold headline, he couldn't help but complain.
Hearing this, Hashirama burst into laughter from the opposite sofa.
"Isn't that a good thing, Is? A world hero! That's something people spend their whole lives chasing."
"…"
Is calmly set the newspaper aside, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
"Everyone pursues different things. Some chase fame, wealth, or freedom."
"As for me… I'm just an ordinary person. Nothing in particular I'm chasing."
The World Government's propaganda was truly impressive—
In no time, they had turned him into a "hero."
Just as Hashirama was about to say more—
The door suddenly burst open.
Madara Uchiha rushed in first.
His gaze swept across the room—
Then locked onto Hashirama.
A wide grin spread across his face.
"So it really is you, Hashirama!"
At the same time, Hashirama stood up, smiling warmly.
"Madara…! It's been a long time. I never thought we'd meet again like this."
Despite not seeing each other for so long—
Madara didn't exchange pleasantries.
He went straight to the point.
"Let's fight again."
"Years ago, I lost to you—but I'm not the same anymore."
As he spoke, he had already drawn his war fan and pointed it forward.
"You two can fight if you want," Is said calmly while sipping his coffee, "but not here."
Obviously—
If those two clashed here, not just the castle—
Even all of Mary Geoise could be affected.
"Let's take this outside, Hashirama."
"I refuse…"
"…"
The moment he heard that—
Madara deflated instantly.
He put away his weapon and dropped onto the nearby sofa.
"…The Valley of the End… I'm sorry, Madara," Hashirama said seriously.
Madara glanced at him from the corner of his eye, a faint smirk forming.
"Hashirama… don't tell me you actually think you killed me back then?"
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