"Hashirama, you damn idiot! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Aniki! That's going too far!!"
For once, Madara and Tobirama shouted in perfect unison, both staring wide-eyed at the sight of Hashirama kneeling.
On the other hand, a flash of genuine surprise crossed Mū's face. So the memory was real, Hashirama truly was a good man. A peace-loving idealist who lived by his convictions. Worthy of respect.
Mū had once heard that Hashirama had knelt during the Five Kage Summit, but he had never fully believed it. Now, he was convinced.
"I sincerely apologize, Mū-dono! Please forgive me!" Hashirama said, still kneeling with unwavering resolve. "I am willing to offer reparations on behalf of Konohagakure: ten thousand ryō in gold, a thousand ninja tools, thousands of rations, and fifty Earth Style jutsu scrolls! If you are still unsatisfied, then take your anger out on me! I will not resist!"
His voice carried nothing but sincerity.
"Hashirama! Get up right now!" Madara barked, his face twisted in fury. Hashirama could kneel only to Madara, so why would he lower himself before anyone else?
"Aniki, this is going too far!" Tobirama's expression turned stormy. He wasn't as emotional as Madara, but he still felt his brother had crossed a line.
It wasn't the act of kneeling that upset him, it was the reparations. Offering compensation was one thing, but this was absurd.
That much gold and that many supplies... even if Konoha was in a stable and prosperous period, they couldn't just hand out resources like candy.
The village still needed funding for construction, administration, expansion, shinobi recruitment, training facilities, and investments in critical infrastructure.
"If Mū-dono does not forgive me, I will not rise! Mū-dono, please accept my apology!" Hashirama remained kneeling, resolute and immovable, despite the disapproval of those around him.
No matter what Madara or Tobirama said, he would not budge. His determination radiated from his eyes.
Mū drew a deep breath. His expression remained stern and composed.
"Hashirama-dono, do you truly believe this is about money?"
Mū raised a brow. "This is about dignity. Do you think you can buy me off with some gold? The dignity of a village cannot be measured in ryō, not even ten thousand can replace it!"
Madara's gaze sharpened, his expression growing cold as he stared directly at Mū. "You're pushing it. If you keep pressing Hashirama like this, I'll kill you right here."
But to Madara's surprise, Mū didn't flinch. Heck, he didn't even look at Madara.
"Since ancient times, who has not faced death?" Mū declared, voice unwavering. "Let me die with a loyal heart and leave my name in history! If you want to kill me, then let the world see Konoha's true face!"
He closed his eyes, his voice ringing out like the final words of a martyr.
"You really aren't afraid of death?" Tobirama asked, watching Mū carefully. Was this man truly unafraid? Did he not understand what kind of danger he was inviting?
If Madara became serious, Mū could die here and now. Tobirama himself wouldn't have the confidence to confront Madara alone if his brother weren't standing right here.
Hashirama, however, stared at Mū with deep admiration.
What a man. Quoting noble lines with absolute conviction, even when staring down death.
Tobirama had a different thought entirely.
Wait... if Mū's talking like that... does this mean we don't actually have to give him the compensation anymore?
After all, that was an enormous amount of resources... and just thinking about it made Tobirama feel a sharp pain in his heart.
"Mū-dono speaks with honor, but... do you still want that compensation?" Tobirama asked, unable to hold back his frustration.
"I do!"
Mū answered without hesitation. Leaving good acting aside, money is money. "I absolutely want it! I took that beating fair and square, why wouldn't I accept what's owed to me? If I don't take it, the other villages might think I caved under pressure. Of course I want it! Ōnoki and I will split it fifty-fifty!"
With a firm slap to his thigh, Mū stood tall, no sign of weakness or hesitation in his posture.
Fuck him!
Both Madara and Tobirama immediately broke into visible expressions of disbelief, black lines metaphorically spreading across their faces.
"Very well!" Hashirama responded without hesitation, then glanced around. "Mū-dono, where is your student?"
He distinctly remembered that Mū had brought a disciple along. But now that things had calmed down, there was no trace of the boy anywhere.
Mū gave a mysterious smile. "No need for you to worry about that, Hashirama-dono..."
Actually, Mū also didn't know where that dwarf ran off to. Seriously, where the hell was Ōnoki?
---
At the border of the Land of Fire, two figures raced through the forest at full speed.
It was Mū and Ōnoki.
In truth, they had already fled a long time ago.
Run like a bitch.
That was all they could do now.
What else would you expect from the most elite long-distance runner in the northwestern region of the Land of Earth?
When it came to fleeing...
Did anyone seriously believe Mū would stick around to face Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama at the same time?
The reality was, Mū had already made a swift retreat. His real body had escaped long ago.
Right after unleashing Chibaku Tensei, he experienced severe chakra depletion and decisively chose to flee with Ōnoki in tow.
What remained on the battlefield had merely been a clone.
If he survived, he'd return to collect reparations. If not, the clone could play dead, helping him slip away unnoticed and escape any potential retaliation from Madara.
The death of a clone was meaningless, since it would recover its form after a few days of rest.
Mū was nothing if not cautious.
There was no chance he would leave his real body exposed in such a dangerous situation. What if Madara, or worse, Hashirama, suddenly changed their mind and decided to kill him? That would be the end.
There was no chance he would gamble on Hashirama's mercy. And definitely not on Madara's reflexes.
"Ōnoki, stop. We'll wait here for my clone to return," Mū said suddenly.
"Yes, Sensei!" Ōnoki replied at once, eyes full of admiration.
There were only a handful of people in the entire shinobi world who could walk away alive after clashing with Madara Uchiha.
---
Back on the battlefield, the compensation Hashirama offered to Mū was enormous. And to top it off, he even gifted two full tons of high-quality woods created through Wood Style, produced by none other than Hashirama himself.
Originally, there had been no mention of needing wood at all. Mū had brought it up himself, claiming that Iwagakure, being a village of stone, severely lacked construction materials. Hashirama gave it some thought, then clapped his hands and summoned a tremendous amount of wood with a single jutsu.
"All right then. Thank you, Hokage-dono. I'll be taking my leave now."
Beneath his bandages, Mū's expression was unmistakably pleased.
Just as he turned to go, Madara stepped forward and blocked his path.
"Hey. You forgot something."
Madara's tone was cold, his eyes narrowed. "My war fan and scythe. Where are they?"
Mū's expression stiffened slightly.
"Haha, almost forgot!" he said, forcing a laugh. He slowly pulled the weapons out and returned them to Madara with an awkward smile.
Madara let out a cold snort and turned away, vanishing without another word.
"Well then, farewell, Hokage-dono, Tobirama-dono."
Mū gathered his mountain of compensation, then slowly floated into the air, rising steadily with all the cargo in tow. Ōnoki could lift Turtle Island with one hand, his teacher lifting two tons of wood was practically effortless.
Hashirama and Tobirama stood silently, watching as Mū's figure grew smaller in the sky.
"Tobirama, this guy's really something. Strong and incredibly sharp in battle," Hashirama said with clear admiration, his eyes still following Mū as he disappeared into the distance.
Tobirama gave a curt nod.
This Mū... always gave off the feeling of someone slippery and hard to grasp. He might become a threat to Konohagakure in the future...
"Hey, Tobirama, by the way, I still haven't paid my tab at the gambling den. Mind covering it for me?"
Hashirama flashed a carefree grin, his tone light.
Tobirama's eyes widened in disbelief. "Aniki, you just handed over a mountain of compensation, and you're still asking me for money?!"
Tobirama's eyes twitched.
"Go ask hoe, Madara for it! The Uchiha clan is rolling in cash. They're the richest bunch in the whole village. And besides, he's the one who dragged that guy over here and left us to clean up the mess! Seriously, Aniki, you really need to rein him in. That man's like a monk holding an umbrella, completely lawless."
Tobirama's voice was cold and sharp, the blame in his tone impossible to miss.
Hashirama's smile slowly faded. He let out a long, tired sigh.
"Ever since I was chosen as Hokage... Madara's been getting more and more..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "Tell me something, Aniki, do you still think Madara is fit to be Hokage? If he gets that position, he'll only drag the village into disaster. He'll lead us straight to war. Just look at what happened today, if you and I hadn't been here, Madara might've already started a war!"
Hashirama exhaled deeply.
Madara relied too much on strength. He was cold, unyielding. He lacked the warmth and connection a true leader needed.
During the Warring States era, someone like that might have been necessary... but now, this is a different era.
"I'm leaving, Tobirama~. And don't forget to pay my tab."
Unwilling to sit through any more of his brother's complaints about Madara, Hashirama gave a lazy wave, then used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from sight.
===
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