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Perhaps due to concerns over clan affairs, Hashirama only stayed one night with Mito at the Uzumaki Clan before departing under the reluctant gaze of the Uzumaki clan leader.
They had arrived as a party of three, but left with an additional member—Akio—making them four on the return journey to the Senju Clan territory.
Throughout the journey, Akio wore a perpetually brooding expression, occasionally shooting glances of resentment at Tobirama.
Tobirama, on the other hand, had no idea how he had offended Akio, let alone that Akio had even entertained the thought of kidnapping him—keeping him confined until he could perfect the Edo Tensei before releasing him.
In this awkward atmosphere, the four finally arrived at the Senju Clan's territory.
As they entered, Akio watched the Senju clan members respectfully bow and greet Hashirama, suddenly reminded that Hashirama was now the clan leader.
After escorting Mito home, Akio followed Hashirama to the clan leader's hall. Observing Hashirama skillfully managing the affairs of the clan, Akio finally witnessed another side of the God of Shinobi.
An hour passed, and by noon, Akio was already dozing off.
At last, Hashirama finished dealing with the accumulated matters and spoke, "Great-Grandfather, sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's fine, you go ahead. I'll just take a nap," Akio mumbled, half-asleep.
"My brother is done with clan affairs! Great-Grandfather, we should head out now!" Tobirama suddenly shouted.
Startled awake, Akio grumbled inwardly, "I should have just kidnapped this brat and made him develop jutsu for me…"
"No, Tobirama, you're staying this time," Hashirama interjected. "I don't know how long Great-Grandfather and I will be away, so you need to remain here and handle affairs in my stead."
"The last part is the real reason, isn't it?" Tobirama thought to himself. "He just doesn't want to deal with a backlog when he gets back."
Though reluctant, Tobirama ultimately agreed.
Hashirama looked pleased and turned to Akio. "Great-Grandfather, shall we set out? It's quite a long journey. We'll need to find a town to rest for the night, and we'll only arrive by tomorrow evening."
"That far? Then let's have a good meal before we leave…" Akio muttered, feeling a bit hungry. He figured he wouldn't get to eat properly tonight or tomorrow.
"Alright…" Hashirama sighed and had the clan prepare a grand meal. Only after eating to their heart's content did they finally set out for the Tenbin Clan territory.
They traveled the entire afternoon, but by dusk, they hadn't found a suitable town to stay in.
Not surprising, really. In these chaotic times, even having a few civilian villages outside the Fire Capital was already fortunate.
With no other choice, Hashirama and Akio pressed on. When night fell, they settled for an open area, ate a simple meal, and made camp for the night.
Akio, far from being dissatisfied, was actually a little excited.
"Isn't this basically 'My Days Living and Traveling with the God of Shinobi'?" he thought to himself.
Unaware of Akio's inner musings, Hashirama said, "Great-Grandfather, I'll sleep first. You take the first watch, and I'll take over for the second half."
"We're keeping watch? Can't you just use Wood Release to build a house?" Akio asked dryly.
"Uh… Right. That's a good idea." Hashirama looked as if he had just realized something groundbreaking.
"Figures. The 'administrative' Hashirama isn't the real Hashirama," Akio muttered in his mind.
With the wooden house built, the two entered and rested, spending the night without incident.
The next morning, after a quick meal and tidying up, they resumed their journey.
They traveled without breaks, pushing on through midday, and by evening, they finally neared the Tenbin Clan's territory.
Akio sensed their chakra and noted that the strongest among them barely reached the peak Jōnin level. However, there was something strange about their chakra—it felt unnatural.
"Natural energy?" Akio wondered. "But something's off. Natural energy isn't supposed to feel… sinister."
"Great-Grandfather, up ahead is the Tenbin Clan's territory," Hashirama informed him.
"Yeah, I sensed it. There's definitely something strange. Their chakra isn't strong, but it has an odd feel to it. By the way, where are the Senju guards stationed here?" Akio asked.
"They should be nearby." Hashirama pointed in a direction, frowning. "Great-Grandfather, you didn't sense them?"
The two exchanged glances, and Hashirama immediately tensed, worried for the safety of his clan members.
They searched the area but found no trace of the Senju guards. After nearly an hour, they finally located the Senju encampment several miles away.
Hashirama looked concerned. "Did we suffer heavy losses, forcing them to retreat so far from the Tenbin Clan?"
When they arrived at the camp, however, the situation was not as dire as Hashirama had feared.
Laughter and conversation filled the air, and the Senju clan members didn't seem like they had endured a battle. If anything, they looked as if they were on a camping trip.
"Ah, Clan Leader! You've returned!" Some Senju shinobi noticed their arrival and immediately greeted them.
"Where is Senju Tenyu?" Hashirama asked, relieved to see his people unharmed but still full of questions. He was referring to the peak Jōnin stationed there.
"The captain is in the central tent. I'll take you to him," a Jōnin offered, leading the way.
Inside the command tent, Senju Tenyu rose from his seat as soon as they entered. "Clan Leader, you've returned."
"Yes. What happened while I was away? The clan members…" Hashirama trailed off, his confusion evident.
"Well, Clan Leader, the day after you left, the Tenbin Clan approached us seeking peace. Their leader explained that their people had lost control of themselves when they attacked us and compensated us with a large amount of supplies."
"So, since they apologized, we didn't see the need to remain camped right outside their territory. We relocated here and waited for your return," Tenyu explained.
"Then… the clan members outside… they're having a feast?" Hashirama asked, glancing at the lively atmosphere.
"Uh…" Tenyu looked a bit embarrassed. "The clan members have been fighting constantly for years. It's been a long time since they had a chance to relax. Since things were calm, I allowed them to celebrate a little."
"It's fine. As long as everyone is safe, that's what matters," Hashirama replied, then turned to Akio. "Great-Grandfather, I'm sorry. It seems this trip might have been for nothing."
"No worries. Consider it a nice trip to stretch my legs," Akio chuckled.
"There is one more thing, Clan Leader," Tenyu interjected. "The Tenbin Clan's leader requested to meet with you upon your return. He seems to have something else to discuss. But… regarding your safety—"
"I understand. We'll rest tonight, and I'll go see him tomorrow," Hashirama said confidently, clearly unconcerned about any danger.
"Great-Grandfather, will you come along?"
"Of course," Akio replied without hesitation. The strange chakra he had sensed earlier still lingered in his mind.
Something told him this trip wouldn't be pointless after all.
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