Just as Shin'getsu and Madara were chatting on Hokage Rock, two sneaky figures quietly lurked in a hidden spot behind them, secretly observing every move of the Master and his disciple.
"Darn Uchiha Madara! If he likes children so much, he should raise one himself! What kind of skill is it to snatch someone else's child?!"
Watching her precious daughter, Shin'getsu, obediently sitting in that hateful man's arms, Senju Touka gritted her teeth in anger, a sour taste constantly surging at the root of her tongue. For a moment, new grudges and old hatreds welled up in her heart.
If Uchiha Madara hadn't always been in the way, she would have long ago dealt with Uchiha Kakka and snatched Shin'getsu back home. How could she have fallen into such a tragic situation of being separated from her flesh and blood!
"You better shut up, are you tired of living?"
Uchiha Kakka, squeezed tightly beside Touka, felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest when he heard that! To save their lives, he quickly stopped Senju Touka's suicidal behavior, and very soon, Touka's anger shifted to him.
"You, what are you doing hiding here? Can't you see I've already taken this spot?"
Perhaps it was the tit-for-tat between enemies, or simply a tacit understanding, Touka and Kakka coincidentally chose the same hiding spot. But this place was narrow, and neither of them was willing to back down, so they could only press tightly against each other.
"Hmph, if you're unhappy, then leave! Anyway, I'm absolutely not giving it to you."
Angry sparks shot from their eyes as they glared at each other. The flames of war, which had just been suppressed by Madara's fist, roared to life again. Just as Touka and Kakka were about to start yet another shouting match, a pair of thick, strong hands firmly pressed down on their shoulders.
"Shh, you two, don't argue. It wouldn't be good if you disturbed them over there."
Senju Hashirama appeared behind them at some point, gently mediating like a good-natured old man. However, a truly good-natured old man wouldn't suddenly appear behind others, nor would he secretly hide in the shadows to peek at others like them.
Senju Touka and Uchiha Kakka immediately felt their hair stand on end. In that instant, they hadn't sensed Senju Hashirama's presence at all, which meant that if Senju Hashirama wished, he could have killed them in that very moment.
In the face of such overwhelming power, any resistance was merely a death struggle. To be born in the same era as such a powerful individual, the greatest fortune was to be on the same side as him. The greatest misfortune, however, was probably having a secret that absolutely had to be kept from him, yet having to face him directly with that secret.
In a flash of lightning, Touka and Kakka quickly exchanged glances, trying to find a unified strategy to deal with the situation. However, it was useless; some people could even start an argument with just a simple exchange of glances.
Did he hear what I just said?
Probably not. If he had heard, we would have been tied up by Wood Release by now.
It's all your big mouth's fault, that's why I told you to shut up!
Uchiha Kakka, I'll @#$% you.... (one thousand words of profanity omitted)
Senju Touka, I'll *%@#.... (one thousand words of profanity omitted)
"Haha, I haven't seen Madara so happy in a long time."
In the end, it was Hashirama who successfully interrupted the endless quarrel between the two.
He squeezed past Touka and Kakka, unceremoniously occupying all the advantageous positions. His bright, piercing eyes observed Uchiha Madara's every move as he sat on the cliff, a faint look of relief and a smile gracing the corners of his mouth.
However, the child in Madara's arms made him rack his brains, yet he couldn't recall who she was. This was not normal. At this time, Konoha had not yet experienced its first baby boom, and there were very few children in the Village. He, Senju Hashirama, knew every single one of them. Logically speaking, such a beautiful child, so intimately connected with Madara, if he had seen her in the Village, he wouldn't possibly forget her.
The only explanation was that she had always lived within the Uchiha Clan Land and had never been to the Village.
Senju Hashirama was very curious, what kind of child would the Uchiha Clan cherish and hide so carefully?
"Who is the child Madara is holding? Why have I never seen her before? Do you two know her?"
Not just know her, that child is our offspring!
Senju Touka's back was already soaked with cold sweat. If Senju Hashirama knew about this, it would be equivalent to Senju Tobirama knowing, and if Senju Tobirama knew, it would basically be a death sentence!
"She should be a child from the Uchiha side, how could I possibly know her, haha! Hey, Uchiha Kakka, do you know her?"
"I, I, I certainly know her. She is our Clan Leader Uchiha Madara's disciple. She, she is called..."
Although Senju Hashirama was indeed a gentle and magnanimous person, sometimes even appearing easy to bully, he was absolutely not a fool. He had just been completely engrossed in Madara's interaction with the child, but he immediately turned his head and looked thoughtfully at his own Elder and the opposing Clan's Elder.
"Oh, is that so?"
As he spoke, he stood up from his hiding place and strode towards Madara and Shin'getsu.
"Since neither of you knows, I'll just go ask Madara directly."
We're doomed!!!
Touka and Kakka stared with terrified eyes, frozen like stones. They looked at Senju Hashirama's back, then at Madara and Shin'getsu, feeling their vision go black, wishing they could just faint.
...
"Well said! Children should grow and become stronger under the protection of adults."
Senju Hashirama carefully chewed on Shin'getsu's recent suggestion, some of her ideas aligning perfectly with his own. He felt genuinely surprised from the bottom of his heart, wishing he could chat with Madara and this unfamiliar child for a day and a night right there, then dump all the work on his good brother Tobirama, and open the Ninja Academy tomorrow.
But the girl who had just been excitedly talking non-stop fell silent the moment he approached, not only showing a fearful expression but also continuously hiding herself in Madara's embrace.
Hashirama, who considered himself very approachable, awkwardly scratched his head. Was he really that unlikable to children?
"Madara, who is this child?"
Senju Hashirama sat cross-legged beside Uchiha Madara, his Hokage robes, symbolizing his status, directly placed beneath him. His curious gaze kept darting towards Shin'getsu, who only showed him the back of her head. Uchiha Madara gave him an annoyed glance and held Shin'getsu even tighter.
"Hmph, didn't Kakka just tell you? She's my disciple, Uchiha Shin'getsu."
A Ninja's five senses are far superior to an ordinary person's. As early as when Touka and Kakka were peeking, he had already sensed their movements, he just couldn't be bothered to deal with them. Everything that followed also couldn't escape his exceptional perception.
"You never mentioned her before. Did you just take her in recently?"
Hashirama nodded. It wasn't uncommon for powerful individuals like them to take on disciples. For example, he himself had recently taken Hiruzen Sarutobi as a disciple. He mused that it was likely his taking a disciple that stimulated Madara, causing him to also start selecting one. However, Madara's personality was always picky, so as his disciple, this child named Uchiha Shin'getsu must possess extraordinary talent.
Perhaps another day, he could let Hiruzen, and those children around Tobirama, meet her. Staying in the Clan Land all the time, this child named Shin'getsu probably doesn't have many friends.
Hashirama gently patted Shin'getsu's back. As she cautiously turned half her head to secretly peek at him, he forced out his signature hearty smile, extending his hand with a grin, attempting to hug this seemingly very cute girl:
"Hi, little one, can I give you a hug?"
Shin'getsu's answer was to hide deeper into Madara's embrace. She tried her best to curl into a ball, looking as if she had decided to hide in Madara's arms forever. Although she didn't say it explicitly, every strand of hair and every inch of skin clearly conveyed her refusal. Hashirama, greatly struck, instantly darkened. He withdrew his outstretched hand, his entire face etched with sadness and dejection, and weakly asked the gloating Madara:
"Madara, am I that scary?"
"Hashirama, I'm sorry, this child is very shy."
Madara smiled without an ounce of apology. He smugly hugged Shin'getsu, who was completely clinging to him. One had to know that under normal circumstances, it was always Hashirama who children clung to. This reversal of roles gave him a strange sense of secret pleasure.
Hashirama, unwilling to give up, extended his hand, and a small white flower bloomed in his palm. He presented the flower to Shin'getsu like a treasure, a faint, delicate fragrance wafting gracefully around it.
"Shin'getsu, look, it's a beautiful flower."
Shin'getsu's heart remained unmoved, and she even silently rolled her Byakugan. She wasn't actually a five-year-old kid; this trick was too silly.
Seeing that Shin'getsu was unmoved by his little trick, Senju Hashirama became dejected again. He slumped his shoulders and lowered his head, muttering incessantly like a large cockroach. Uchiha Madara's forehead pulsed with veins, and he angrily reprimanded:
"Enough! Haven't you cured that bad habit of getting depressed at the drop of a hat?"
With that, he shoved Shin'getsu, who was in his arms, into Hashirama's. Shin'getsu, caught off guard by being handed to Senju Hashirama, looked bewildered and instinctively looked to Uchiha Madara for help, but Madara mercilessly said:
"You can only hold her for a little while!"
Master, how could you give me to Senju Hashirama!
So love disappears, huh? I'm telling you, you've already lost me!
Senju Hashirama quickly hugged the child in his arms, feeling content. Although this child named Shin'getsu didn't like him, she still obediently stayed in his embrace, appearing very well-behaved and sensible. He couldn't help but compare her to Hiruzen Sarutobi, that mischievous, stinky monkey who was always causing trouble. Hiruzen was stinky and dirty, but Shin'getsu was a fragrant, soft little bundle, and holding her in his arms felt indescribably comfortable.
The girl's face was as delicate and lovely as a rose. Sunlight caressed her fair skin, her dark eyes sparkled with the luster of pearls, and her rosy cheeks were like two red rose petals, countless times cuter than Hiruzen Sarutobi, who resembled a monkey.
Disciples, once compared, always lead to sadness. Shin'getsu, who was intelligent, cute, and obedient, was like heaven compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was already a pervert at such a young age. Senju Hashirama suddenly looked up, staring seriously at Uchiha Madara:
"Madara, how about we swap disciples! I'll give you Hiruzen, and Shin'getsu can be my disciple, how about it?"
"Don't even think about it! I don't want a monkey as a disciple!"
"No! I don't want to change Masters!"
Shin'getsu, who had been silent until now, also rejected this terrible idea. Hashirama stared at her serious expression, exclaiming how familiar it looked—this child's stern face truly resembled Tobirama when he was little, both looking like precocious little adults.
Children should act like children. What good is there in growing up so early anyway?
Suddenly, Hashirama's smiling face froze. He abruptly grabbed Shin'getsu's hand, looking at her with shock. Shin'getsu, suddenly faced with Senju Hashirama's magnified face, was so startled her heart nearly stopped.
"This child...."
As Senju Hashirama spoke hesitantly, both Madara and Shin'getsu felt a chill down their spines. Could this guy have figured something out?
Madara was silent for a moment, then decided to seize the initiative. He crossed his arms and, from his elevated position, questioned the incredulous Senju Hashirama:
"Hashirama, what do you want to say?"
"I... I don't know why, but I always feel a very close aura from this child."
Nonsense, my mother Touka is your Clan sister, so in terms of seniority, you are my distant grand-uncle. How could we not be close?
Shin'getsu felt a chill down her spine and quickly cast a pleading look at Uchiha Madara. Madara's expression remained unchanged, but cold sweat began to seep from his back. He couldn't quite understand how Hashirama, who was usually so slow-witted, had suddenly become so perceptive.
"Hmph, don't you feel close to every child you meet?"
Madara feigned exasperation, snatching Shin'getsu back into his arms, but Senju Hashirama's gaze remained fixed on Shin'getsu, making her scalp tingle.
"It's not that kind of closeness! How should I describe it? It's that feeling, even closer than blood relation..."
As soon as these words were spoken, Shin'getsu cried out inwardly, "Not good!" Her heart sank. This was it, Senju Hashirama had seen through her golden finger!