The sun rose as usual, the sunset continued its quiet cycle, and time slipped away between the fingertips of children holding melting popsicles in the heat of summer.
Before anyone realized it, many people were already eating seven or eight ice creams a day. Time passed quietly like that.
At the same time, more than a month had passed since Mei Terumi proposed the cross-sea bridge project. Not only in Kirigakure and Konoha, but across the entire shinobi world, every craftsman with even the slightest reputation had gathered in Konoha.
On the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire, dozens of expert craftsmen stood assembled. However, Tazuna—the famed bridge builder from the Land of Waves—and several other craftsmen looked embarrassed. Their darkened skin gleamed with the humidity of the sea breeze, sweat soaking into their clothes without them noticing.
Tazuna wiped his face with the towel draped over his shoulders.
"Tazuna, we've already drawn the blueprints. The structures are large enough to keep us building for months."
"And a lot of Earth-Style-proficient shinobi came to help. Can we start construction yet?"
"Konoha and Kirigakure are paying double the usual wages. We can't just take their money for nothing."
A craftsman from the Land of Water spoke anxiously. This project was difficult, yes, but the pay was incredible. He had no intention of delaying and losing such a rare opportunity.
Tazuna hesitated, then finally nodded.
"Does everyone feel the same?"
Everyone nodded. Seeing this, Tazuna had no room to refuse. As chief engineer of the Konoha–Kirigakure cross-sea bridge, he had responsibilities—responsibilities that required either a solution… or a report to the leaders of the two great villages.
Over the past weeks, he had carefully gathered all the necessary data and discovered an unavoidable issue: several deep-sea trenches lay between the two nations. With their current engineering methods, placing piers in such deep ocean was impossible.
Even after scouting hundreds of possible detours, he still couldn't bypass them.
The bridge he built between the Land of Waves and Konoha months prior—though also a cross-sea bridge—had a completely different level of difficulty. That strait's average depth was only thirty meters, with its deepest point barely over fifty. Achievable.
But the waters between Konoha and Kirigakure averaged over 120 meters, with some areas plunging beyond 200.
Even with Earth-Style assistance, shinobi couldn't construct stable foundations at such colossal depths.
"Alright… work can begin tomorrow. There's a problem in the middle section. I'll report it to Konoha and see if there's a solution."
After saying this, Tazuna walked away in a slump, leaving the rest of the workers confused. Most of them were just craftsmen—they didn't understand blueprints or the real scale of the issues.
Only a few senior craftsmen who had worked with Tazuna understood. But if Konoha and Kirigakure learned the truth, the entire project might be canceled, along with their reputation… and their double pay.
So they chose silence.
...
The next morning, Uchiha Hikaru received a scroll of information delivered by ANBU at his home. After skimming its contents, he rushed directly toward Senju territory.
Soon, he reached Tsunade's house. Outside, the Edo Tensei version of Hashirama lounged on the grassy lawn, boredom radiating from him. In his hand was a flower, and he plucked its petals one by one while muttering:
"What should I eat today…? Ramen, BBQ, ramen, BBQ…"
When Hikaru stepped into his view, Hashirama immediately brightened, his earlier dead-eyed boredom disappearing.
"Hey~ isn't this Hikaru? Why are you here? Got something going on?"
"Take me with you, please. I've been bored to death this whole week."
"Mito's teaching Sakura medical ninjutsu, Tobirama and that Orochimaru kid lock themselves in the lab all day tinkering with something…"
"If this keeps up, my corpse is going to mold."
Hikaru couldn't help but hear the helplessness of an elderly troublemaker (╥﹏╥).
He hadn't considered how lonely Hashirama must be. Mito and Tobirama had responsibilities. Hashirama had finished the first phase of the Sunagakure afforestation plan ahead of schedule and returned to the village… only to have absolutely nothing to do. Even food barely tasted like anything to an Edo body.
Hikaru slung an arm around his shoulder.
"Uncle, I really do have work this time. I need your help."
Hashirama looked excited—finally, something to do!—but then narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Kid, tell me what it is first. I'm not working alone again. You don't know how lonely it was planting all those trees in the Sand Village. No one to talk to except Gaara every once in a while. I swear my mind almost broke."
Hikaru resisted the urge to point out that an Edo Tensei's mind couldn't "break" permanently—because it would just regenerate. He kept that part firmly inside his heart (￣▽￣;)ゞ.
Out loud, he remained respectful. After all, Hashirama was still his "uncle."
"Relax, Uncle. I won't make you work alone. I'll be there too. I'm also bringing Chōza."
"It'll be a three-man team, and lots of workers will be cooperating with us. It'll be lively, I promise (๑˃ᴗ˂)و!"
Hashirama nodded contentedly and thumped Hikaru's shoulder.
"Good, good. Since you said that, I feel relieved."
"Speaking of Chōza—isn't he the son of that old man Chōgen? Are we really bringing him? His strength is a little…"
Hikaru shook his head.
"Don't worry. For a project this big, his Multi-Size Technique is perfect."
"Anyway—let's move. We're leaving now."
Before Chōza even understood what was happening, Hikaru and Hashirama had already marched to his home, grabbed him, and carried him out of the village like oversized kidnappers.
The guards at Konoha's gate stared, speechless.
"My god… I heard Lord Hashirama was resurrected in some strange way, but seeing it with my own eyes…"
"Yeah… now even Assistant Hokage Hikaru and Chōza-Jonin are acting strange. I hope they're mentally stable…"
"And Izumo, I've told you a thousand times—don't call me Tetsu. Just call me Kotetsu!"
Hikaru and Hashirama, arms hooked around Chōza's, sprinted off at high speed, leaving a cloud of dust behind and giving the gate guards something to gossip about for weeks.
...
"Lord Hashirama! Hikaru! Why are you carrying me like this?!"
"Can't you talk to me normally?!"
"This pose is uncomfortable! At least tell me what mission we're on!"
Chōza hung between them as they ran at nearly 120 kilometers per hour.
When they were finally far enough from the village, Hikaru and Hashirama exchanged a glance, slowed down, and set him on his feet.
"It's nothing secret," Hikaru said. "We just need your help with labor. The Konoha–Kirigakure cross-sea bridge has started construction."
"The builders can't complete some piers due to the depth. So we need your Multi-Size Technique."
Chōza stared at them.
That was it? That's what they kidnapped him for? A simple construction job?
But both were above him in status and strength… so he swallowed his complaints (￣_￣|||).
A day later, the three arrived at the coastline.
Hundreds of workers tried pushing a massive 30- to 40-meter stone slab into the sea using thick logs as rollers and ropes for leverage.
Several Earth-Style shinobi stood nearby, compressing and shaping materials with chakra to form new pillars.
Even Kakashi was present.
The copy-nin, however, was not sculpting dog heads into anything today. He looked completely drained, shoving two soldier pills under his mask with the dead-eyed exhaustion of someone questioning life choices.
Hikaru decided not to bother him ( •̥́ ˍ •̀ू ).
Soon, Tazuna spotted the trio approaching and hurried over.
"Are you three the shinobi Konoha sent to solve the construction issue?"
Tazuna examined them but recognized none of their faces. Despite the legends he'd heard about Uchiha Hikaru and Hashirama, he had never actually seen a top-tier ninja in person.
Hikaru offered his hand politely, immediately improving Tazuna's impression.
"Hello. I've heard Master Tazuna's bridge-building skills are unmatched."
"I'm Uchiha Hikaru, Assistant Hokage of Konoha. I've reviewed the problem you reported two days ago."
"In the coming days, Hashirama, Chōza, and I will assist you with the bridge construction
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