Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

"This child is beyond redemption!"

Despite careful instruction, Wanryo still only knew how to call himself "Curl Hair," which made the originally confident Uchiha Gin feel utterly hopeless.

"Sigh~ I, Uchiha Gin, am known for my unparalleled wisdom, yet the clone I created is just a fool."

Uchiha Gin, slumped to one side, looked at the still-cooking Mugen and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"Another cup, please!"

Despite Uchiha Gin's blatant taunts, Kaguya remained unperturbed and simply pushed the empty cup towards him.

As long as this descendant can provide her with a stable supply of her secret sweet drink, it's not unacceptable for Uchiha Gin to get a little taste advantage.

"Want more?"

Uchiha Gin glanced at the lemons his younger cousin had contributed, realizing that the raw materials were all used up and not a single drop could be squeezed out. He then waved his hand in greeting.

"That's all, that's all~"

Kaguya frowned upon hearing this. This descendant was truly ungrateful. It was already an honor to have him offer her tribute. In the past, humans would have to queue up and enter a lottery six months in advance if they wanted to give her gifts.

"Another cup, please!"

This time, Wang Liang's tone was more human than before. Uchiha Gin raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard this. Looking at her cool and beautiful face, he noticed that there was a slight displeasure between her brows.

"We're out of lemons. How about ice cream?"

Feeling that the creature before him was becoming more and more human-like, Uchiha Gin, with a spirit of inquiry, glanced at the ice cream machine behind the bar and asked,

Ice cream?

Kaguya Maro frowned; she had never heard of such a thing before.

"Try it! That's a cold drink that I, Uchiha Gin, personally developed and made. It's guaranteed to be delicious!"

That's right, the ice cream sold by the little manager's family was made by Uchiha Gin.

After Konoha was founded, Uchiha Gin asked for the best shop in the clan and gave it to Lady Yongmei so that she could resume her old business and open a cold drink shop.

However, Gin Uchiha got a little tired of eating shaved ice all the time, so he created ice cream based on his previous life's recipe. Unexpectedly, it sold quite well, received widespread praise, and even attracted many foreign friends.

It is said that not long ago, there was a child from the Land of Wind who was so obsessed with ice cream that she didn't even want to go back to her country and kept clamoring to join Konoha. In the end, she was knocked unconscious and carried away by her master.

If it weren't for the unstable times, Uchiha Gin would really like to open a beverage shop in Konoha; he even had a name in mind.

Let's call it Honey Ice City~

As they were talking, Uchiha Gin had already entered the bar, operated the ice cream machine, and squeezed out a large sundae.

Kaguya tilted her head in confusion. The white food in front of her, which exuded a cold aura, had a rich milky aroma. She subconsciously swallowed and looked up at the smiling Uchiha Gin, but still chose to take the large sundae.

"Eat quickly, or it'll melt!"

Seeing Wanliang's cautious demeanor, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but chuckle and urge him on.

After hesitating for a moment, Kaguya extended a slender finger and tentatively touched the tip of the sundae. The cool touch made her shiver involuntarily.

After withdrawing her finger, Kaguya looked at the milky white ice cream on her fingertip and slowly put it into her mouth.

"Ou Yixi!"

Kaguya sucked on her fingers vigorously, the rich sweetness of the creamy ice cream making her eyes light up. It was so delicious, and she had only tasted it today. She felt like she had wasted the previous few thousand years.

She grabbed a large sundae from the table and wolfed it down, splattering ice cream everywhere with her rough eating, leaving her dark-skinned face covered in a sticky, milky-white liquid.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

It didn't even use a spoon, it just started biting directly into its mouth. It was indeed a newly awakened puppet. Uchiha Gin felt that his path of nurturing it was still long and arduous.

However, Kaguya paid no attention to what Uchiha Gin said and continued to gulp down her food, creating a truly gruesome scene.

"Sigh~ Look up."

Uchiha Gin couldn't stand it any longer, pulled out a tissue, and spoke up.

"?"

This time, Kaguya listened attentively, raising her little head in confusion to see what Uchiha Gin was going to do.

The next moment, a large, warm hand reached out and gently wiped the ice cream off her face. Kaguya, who had never received such treatment before, froze on the spot and let Uchiha Gin do as he pleased.

When Uchiha Gin's fingers inadvertently brushed against her lips, Kaguya's heart, which had been dormant for thousands of years, began to race for the first time. A blush spread uncontrollably across her face, and steam rose faintly from the white hair on her head.

"Ding-a-ling~"

At this ambiguous moment, the door of the ice cream shop was suddenly pushed open, and at the same time, the sound of the bell on the door curtain startled the frozen Kaguya.

"It's Xiao Zhili, go back quickly!"

Just from the sound of footsteps, Uchiha Gin knew who was coming, so he quickly stood up and stood in front of Kaguya, urging her in a low voice.

Gin Uchiha has not revealed the fact that he has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan to anyone yet. If others discover the existence of Mugen, he will have no way to explain himself.

"Huh? Mr. Yin, what are you doing here?"

The newcomer was none other than Uchiha Gin. The girl was carrying two large bags of yellow fruits that Uchiha Gin recognized very well, and she looked at him with a delighted expression.

However, the observant girl, upon seeing Uchiha Gin's flustered expression, immediately sharpened her eyes and quickly scanned her surroundings, trying to find something.

Uchiha Gin glanced behind him and found that the spot where Mikoto had been sitting was now empty. Mikoto had even taken the unfinished sundae ice cream with him before leaving.

"Phew~"

Relieved, Gin Uchiha's tense expression slowly faded, but the purple-haired girl in front of him frowned more and more.

"Small-scale governance, taking so long."

Uchiha Gin stepped forward, preparing to greet his disciple.

"Mr. Yin, please stop!"

Unexpectedly, the usually docile Uchiha Gin stopped his teacher, his beautiful face showing a look of disgust, leaving Uchiha Gin, who was about to step forward, somewhat bewildered.

"What happened?"

"Mr. Yin, if you really can't hold it in, please do this in the restroom."

"???"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin froze on the spot. Confused, he followed the girl's disdainful gaze and slowly lowered his head, looking at the tissue he was holding, which was covered with an unidentified milky white liquid that was slowly dripping down.

"I didn't! That's not it! Let me explain!"

Shadow Realm

Kaguya sat on her private bed, holding a sundae she had smuggled from the real world. She sipped it slowly, recalling the sensation on her lips. Her dark face flushed uncontrollably, and her white eyes were filled with unreadable thoughts.

"That descendant's name is Uchiha Gin, right?"

In the Hokage's office, Hashirama Senju, having lost an assistant, was working overtime, back to his regular duties. As he reviewed a report about the slow progress of a certain project, his brow furrowed slightly, and he looked up at Tobirama Senju, who was organizing documents beside him, and spoke slowly.

"Tobirama, when will that money arrive?"

Konoha is currently in dire need of funds. Although Tobirama Senju received a portion of the profits, most of it was used to pay Gin Uchiha's salary, leaving the account still in a full deficit.

"Brother, don't worry. The shipping company in the Land of Waves is just starting out, and the profits won't be in our accounts anytime soon. Let's wait a little longer~"

When asked the question, Tobirama Senju stiffened for a moment, then remembered the tea and letter sent by the official from the Land of Waves, and immediately felt relieved.

"But money is needed everywhere these days!"

If it were someone else embezzling public funds, Hashirama Senju would have given them a massage with a wooden dummy long ago. Why would he be so kind and reasonable?

"If all else fails, we can mortgage some of the family's ancestral property to solve this immediate problem."

Regarding Konoha's financial situation, Tobirama Senju actually knew better than anyone else, but he firmly believed in the principle of money making money. As long as the shipping company of the Land of Waves took off, he would definitely make a fortune every day, and then he could stand tall in front of that curly-haired guy.

"Crunch~"

"Ta-da!"

Just as the Senju brothers were plotting to sell off their assets, the office door was pushed open from the outside, followed by a series of shrill footsteps that made them frown immediately.

Who is so rude? Does he think this Hokage's office is his own?

So, the two brothers, displeased, turned their attention to the intruder, preparing to teach this rude person a lesson.

"Who are you."

However, because the person who came was so bizarrely dressed, Tobirama Senju swallowed back the words he was about to say.

The man who entered was wearing exaggerated sunglasses, a black tight-fitting T-shirt with a huge Sharingan pattern embroidered on the chest, white skinny jeans, and gold pointed Chelsea boots. He had a garish green handbag tucked under his arm and was standing in front of the door, shaking his head and striking poses.

"oioioi, isn't this the hot mom from Haxi? Haven't seen her for a few days, why is she having diarrhea like this?"

Judging from the voice, this uniquely styled person was none other than Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama's close friend whom he hadn't seen for several days. He strode over to the desk with an air of arrogance, pushed up his sunglasses, and spoke in a very haughty tone.

"."

"Hey, what's with your outfit?"

Finally recovering from the shock, Hashirama Senju's eyes were filled with disbelief. Madara had been dressed properly and behaved gracefully, just like a young lady from a scholarly family.

Unexpectedly, she has now transformed into a rebellious young woman.

This is such a wonderful surprise!

The main selling point is contrast.

"How about it? This is the trendiest outfit right now. Your long robe is so outdated. People will think you're an old-fashioned person when you go out!"

Having completed his transformation, Madara Uchiha pointed at Hashirama Senju's plain-colored robe and mocked him with a disdainful tone.

It's unclear when exactly this trend started, but it suddenly became popular in Konoha, spearheaded by an unknown, cheerful Mr. Sasuke.

Then it spread like a plague, and this style of clothing became popular on the streets. Any ninja with a bit of skill would spend a lot of money to have a custom-made outfit made by an unknown designer.

"Now that you mention it, I have indeed seen quite a few people dressed like that recently."

Hashirama Senju, unperturbed by the mockery, instead wore a mocking smile, watching Madara Uchiha's shapely buttocks with great interest.

What a stylish outfit! I want one too!

"Hmph! This kind of unhealthy trend should be banned! Brother, you should immediately issue an order to ban this kind of clothing!"

Seeing his elder brother completely infatuated, Tobirama Senju was furious, and said with a dark expression,

"Huh? When did Konoha become so feudal that even the freedom to dress is not allowed? If someone were to become Hokage, even the color of their underwear would have to be uniform."

Madara Uchiha glanced at the furious Tobirama Senju, his disdain evident in his eyes, before launching into a sarcastic remark.

"Alright, alright, why are you two always bickering the moment you meet? We're all family here!"

It was a familiar scene again. Hashirama Senju reluctantly got up to mediate the fight, as if this had become his daily routine.

"snort!"

The two people who were arguing turned their heads away at the same time, ignoring each other.

Seeing that the two had calmed down, Hashirama Senju breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down in his original seat.

"Hey, why don't you rest for a few more days?"

It had only been a few days since Uchiha Gin forcibly abducted Uchiha Madara, but unexpectedly, he recovered his spirits and came to work so quickly.

"I've left all the clan affairs to that kid Izuna. I'm just sitting around doing nothing anyway, so I might as well come back to work."

Madara Uchiha casually replied, skillfully repositioning the green briefcase.

"Great, great, I was just worried about not being able to finish my work, and here you are!"

Hashirama Senju welcomed this free labor with open arms; not only was he capable, but he was also pleasing to the eye, so he could secretly rejoice!

"I knew Konoha would fall apart without me."

Madara Uchiha nodded in deep agreement, then sat down at his previous workstation, which was now piled high with documents awaiting his review. He quickly got into the swing of things and began processing them at lightning speed.

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju, who was sitting opposite him, also chose to keep quiet and silently sat down to continue working.

Although Tobirama Senju disliked Madara Uchiha, he couldn't deny that Madara was a rare talent, possessing both strength and intelligence, though his emotions were somewhat unstable.

"Is Konoha short of money again?"

Looking at the monthly financial report in his hand, Madara Uchiha's brows furrowed deeply behind his sunglasses. He had long known that Tobirama Senju was unreliable, and the embezzled funds were still missing.

"It's nothing, just a minor problem. We've already figured out a solution."

Upon hearing Madara Uchiha mention this matter, Hashirama Senju, who was concerned about his younger brother, answered first.

"The Land of Water is attacking the Land of Whirlpools? What's going on? Wasn't there supposed to be a truce?"

After putting that matter aside, Madara Uchiha came across another intelligence report from abroad. Upon seeing the word "war," his brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. They had just signed a peace agreement, so why were they turning around and attacking their neighbor?

"I know about this, but the Land of Water didn't get any advantage. The tailed beast they just bought was almost captured by the Land of Whirlpools."

Tobirama Senju, sitting opposite him, raised his head, a thoughtful look in his crimson eyes, before explaining.

"Regardless of whether they gained any advantage or not, why can the Land of Water start wars at will?"

Regardless of the outcome, Madara Uchiha only wanted to know the motives behind starting the war.

"Sigh, there's nothing we can do about it. The peace agreement we signed only included the five major powers, and it only prohibited wars between the five major powers. As for the smaller countries, they were not included."

It turns out that the Land of Water exploited a loophole in the agreement. In order to avenge the previous defeat, they took the newly acquired tailed beast and went to the Land of Whirlpools to try to regain the lost ground. Little did they expect that the ninjas of the Land of Whirlpools were not to be trifled with.

The Three-Tails, who had been thrown into the territorial waters of the Land of Whirlpools by the Land of Water, had just opened its eyes when it saw countless chains raining down on it. Before it could even say a word, it was disarmed on the spot.

If Byakuren hadn't brought the recovered Hozuki Gengetsu and Katsura, first using his mirage illusion technique to trap the Uzumaki clan's ninjas, and then risking his life to snatch back the frozen Three-Tails, the Land of Water would have truly suffered a double loss.

"They brought this on themselves. Everyone knows that those red-haired guys from the Land of Whirlpools have top-notch sealing techniques. Dealing with tailed beasts is a piece of cake for them."

Shaking his head dismissively, Madara Uchiha, having learned the whole story, showed not a shred of sympathy for the tragic plight of the Land of Water.

"He certainly deserved it. I heard that old man Bai Lian was seriously injured and is probably about to abdicate."

It's rare that Tobirama Senju shares the same view as Madara Uchiha.

"Fortunately, it's the Land of Whirlpools; if it were any other small country, it might have already fallen."

Even though their interactions have decreased over the years, their blood ties still exist. If the Land of Whirlpools were to truly suffer a calamity, Hashirama Senju would certainly be the first to offer assistance.

"Tailed beasts are indeed a troublesome existence."

Through this incident, Tobirama Senju saw things more deeply than the other two. Tailed beasts, like nuclear weapons, are a deterrent in peacetime, but a trump card in wartime.

Although the elder brother and Madara Uchiha can easily control the Tailed Beasts, what will happen when Konoha undergoes a generational change and there are no longer strong figures like them to support it? Without the Tailed Beasts in their hands, wouldn't Konoha become an easy target for other countries to slaughter?

"Tobirama, is there anything you want to say?"

Seeing his younger brother's somber expression, and knowing his habits, Hashirama Senju asked, "..."

"Big brother, I think Konoha also needs tailed beasts."

When asked, Tobirama Senju raised his head and answered with a serious expression.

"Hmph~ What's the use of something that kicks its legs the moment it glares at you?"

Madara Uchiha, who had personally captured a Tailed Beast, scoffed at Tobirama Senju's words, believing that no matter how many Tailed Beasts there were, they couldn't compare to his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Do you think anyone can be like you?

Tobirama Senju rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. He didn't want to waste time arguing with Madara Uchiha on a matter concerning the survival of Konoha.

"Well, it's not like I don't have any."

Madara Uchiha initially wanted to say no, but recalling the woman beside his older cousin, he awkwardly scratched his face, his tone losing its previous arrogance.

"."

"What I mean is, many years from now, after we're all gone, can you guarantee that there will still be people in Konoha with your strength?"

"I can guarantee that."

To Tobirama Senju was caught off guard by Madara Uchiha's surprisingly fluent answer this time.

Don't be blindly confident; things can change in an unpredictable way.

"If my cousin can live a long life, then Uchiha Hikaru, who is by his side, will definitely live a long life as well."

Madara Uchiha shook his head and mentioned the name Gin Uchiha.

"That curly hair...you mean, the Yin Seal?"

Reminded by Madara Uchiha, Tobirama Senju suddenly realized, "That's right, that Uchiha Hikaru, whose strength is unknown, has learned Uchiha Gin's Yin Sealing Technique, which has greatly extended his lifespan. As long as he doesn't use it too often, he can ensure the long-term peace and stability of Konoha."

The Tailed Beasts are attacking! Quickly, go and summon Hikari!

However, the mere thought of the other party being from the Uchiha clan caused Tobirama Senju to furrow his brow deeply.

If things were really as he thought, then Konoha would have to act according to the whims of the Uchiha clan, which was an outcome he did not want to see.

No, we can't rely solely on the Uchiha clan; Konoha needs its own nuclear weapons.

"I think it's better to have tailed beasts as a deterrent, as this can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Tobirama Senju shook his head, still sticking to his point of view.

"It doesn't matter, they're all just chickens and dogs anyway."

Madara Uchiha, who didn't care about the matter, just gave a cold sarcastic remark and did not refuse.

"Tobirama, your idea is good, but all the Tailed Beasts have been sold off. Where are we going to find extras?"

Hashirama Senju, who had been listening in, scratched his head and interjected, "When they sold the Tailed Beasts before, Konoha didn't keep a single one!"

"Big brother, isn't there still one left?"

Tobirama Senju's lips curled into a sinister smile.

"And...you mean..."

"That's right, it's the Nine-Tails!"

"Huh? I made a promise with it!"

That's right. After the Tailed Beast Pokémon Tournament, Hashirama Senju promised to release Kurama and promised that he would never capture it again.

However, the despicable white-haired man disregarded the agreement between Hashirama Senju and Kurama and tried to capture the lonely and helpless Kurama again.

"Hmph! What's the point of talking about morality with a beast? Just catch it again!"

"No, no! I swore in the name of the Sage of Six Paths that if I bring it back, I will die a horrible death and never be reincarnated."

Hashirama Senju showed a rare look of difficulty, indicating that he was powerless to fulfill his younger brother's request.

"Tsk"

Knowing that his elder brother was a man who valued his promises, Tobirama Senju had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​having Hashirama Senju capture the Nine-Tails.

As he pondered, he suddenly saw Uchiha Madara writing furiously at his workstation. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips.

"Konoha cannot live without tailed beasts, just as the Land of Fire cannot live without Konoha."

Suddenly, Tobirama Senju said something inexplicable. Madara Uchiha, who was processing documents, looked up in confusion, wondering what trick the white-haired man was up to now.

"Madara Uchiha, do you know about the Nine-Tails?"

During the previous Tailed Beast War, Madara Uchiha's Tailed Beast was completely defeated by the Nine-Tails, thus missing out on the Hokage position. Now that Tobirama Senju is bringing up this old matter again, he must have his own purpose.

"Nine-Tailed Fox is the one that Hasi Hot Mom won in the end."

Madara Uchiha certainly remembered that hateful big fox. If it weren't for it, he would have been riding on Hashirama Senju's head and lording it over him long ago. Why would he be here working overtime day and night like a corporate slave?

"Big brother, how strong is the Nine-Tails?"

Not knowing why Tobirama Senju would ask this, Hashirama Senju was about to answer that it was nothing to him, but then he suddenly remembered what he had said to Madara Uchiha after winning the Tailed Beast War. His eyes darted around, and he began to speak carelessly.

"Wow, you're really strong. See these hands? I only managed a stalemate with both of them." (End of Chapter)