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"You carry the load, I lead the horse, walking down the country road..."
Setting out from the Uzumaki clan, the group traveled in silence.
Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Akio couldn't help but hum a medley of songs. However, it seemed to only make things even more awkward.
Tobirama cut him off, changing the subject stiffly. "Elder of the Uzumaki clan, you should have your clan's unique sensory abilities, right? Keep an eye on our surroundings. The Senju have many enemies—we can't rule out an ambush."
"I'm Mito's great-uncle. By seniority, you should also call me great-uncle. Calling me 'elder'—are you trying to take advantage of Mito?" Akio retorted shamelessly.
Tobirama's mouth twitched. "G-great-uncle, please pay attention to our surroundings."
"You really emphasized the 'great' there. Whatever, I won't argue with a junior like you. If anyone appears within a kilometer radius, I'll let you know," Akio replied.
"I won't argue with a junior like you..." Tobirama couldn't get that phrase out of his head. He chose not to respond, leaving Akio victorious in their verbal skirmish.
After a short silence, Akio resumed his humming. "Through the storm of iron hooves, I traverse the boundless lands. Oh, if only I could live another five hundred years..."
Inside the palanquin, Mito couldn't help but ask, "Great-uncle, you seem different from usual today. Did something good happen?"
Akio replied, "Didn't you hear me singing? I can live another five hundred years—how could I not be happy?"
Seventeen pairs of eyes rolled in unison. Once again, conversation came to an end...
The group pressed forward, their journey resuming in an awkward silence. Best to stop talking nonsense and focus on traveling.
Before they knew it, they had already covered half the distance. The group was passing through a valley when Akio finally broke the silence again.
"This is the perfect place for an ambush. Tobirama, is this valley called 'Falling Goose Slope'? Am I destined to meet my end here?" He attempted a cold joke to ease the tension.
Unfortunately, in the world of shinobi, no one understood his reference. Tobirama, ever serious, responded, "If that's the case, great-uncle, please be extra careful."
His serious tone left Akio speechless.
"There really is an ambush. But why position themselves outside the valley instead of attacking from both ends inside?" As they neared the exit of the valley, Akio suddenly stopped Tobirama.
Tobirama immediately became alert. "Prepare for battle!" He knew that anyone daring to ambush their group was no ordinary foe.
"Wait... This chakra signature..." Akio muttered. "You guys engage them. I'll protect Mito." With that, he hid behind the palanquin.
Tobirama was momentarily speechless. He signaled the others to proceed cautiously and led them out of the valley, where they found seven figures standing openly on the right side of the road. Two were positioned in front, five behind. A familiar voice called out.
"Long time no see, Tobirama."
"Uchiha Izuna... and Madara!" Tobirama's sharp eyes scanned the group. Aside from Izuna and Madara, the remaining five were all elite jōnin at their peak.
"This is bad. Without big brother here, we can't stop Madara," Tobirama thought grimly before speaking. "Madara, why are you and your brother here instead of celebrating the New Year with your clan? What brings you to this desolate place?"
Madara smirked. "To congratulate Hashirama on his marriage, of course."
Tobirama scoffed inwardly. "Like hell I believe you." But he wasn't sure whether to fight or flee.
"Thank you for your congratulations, Madara." A familiar voice came from behind the palanquin. As the figure emerged, Tobirama's eyes widened in shock.
"Big brother?! What are you doing here?!"
"If I didn't follow, how could I be sure I'd actually marry a rich, beautiful wife and reach the pinnacle of life? Oh, my foolish little brother..." "Hashirama" whispered to Tobirama.
That familiar, exaggerated tone almost made Tobirama's already stiff lips twitch involuntarily.
"Impossible! You should be in the Senju compound preparing for the wedding! How could you be here?!" Izuna shouted, his Sharingan spinning rapidly as he tried to discern the truth.
Madara activated his own Sharingan, scrutinizing "Hashirama." Although he couldn't find any flaws, years of rivalry and camaraderie told him something was off.
His hands quickly formed seals. "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" A sea of fire roared toward them.
"Hashirama" also formed seals. "Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!" A sturdy wooden barrier blocked the flames.
"Madara, thanks for the fireworks! Hahaha."
Madara closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, his Sharingan deactivating. "We've delivered our wedding gift. Let's go, Izuna."
"Yes, big brother..." Izuna reluctantly followed.
A moment later, "Hashirama" reverted to Akio. "They've left my sensory range," he announced.
"It really was you, great-uncle! But how did you use Wood Style?!" Tobirama asked in disbelief.
"Not Wood Style. That was Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall, enhanced by a transformation technique. That's a little trick I unlocked when my Transformation Jutsu reached level 10. Want to learn it? I'll teach you. Not 998 ryō, only 9.8! A special deal just for you!"
Tobirama fell into silence again. Maybe he just didn't understand...
"Since the danger has passed, let's keep moving." After a moment, Tobirama gave the order.
"Ah... now this is troublesome. They're back again." Akio muttered.
Just like before, the seven Uchiha stood in formation, blocking their path.
"I just remembered—Hashirama, since you're here, let's have a match! I want to test my new technique! Uh... Hashirama?" Madara turned, only to find no trace of him.
An awkward silence filled the air. After a long pause, Akio spoke.
"Thank you again for your congratulations, Madara."
Madara experienced the most embarrassing moment of his life. Mechanically, he turned to Akio. "It was you? Old man! That was a Transformation Jutsu? You actually deceived my Sharingan?!"
"This is where you should say, 'Akio, among all my opponents, your Transformation Jutsu is the strongest. In the field of transformation, no one surpasses you. I, Madara, acknowledge you as the best!'" Akio declared proudly.
Madara felt an even deeper level of embarrassment. He lost his patience and began forming seals—only to see a shuriken flying toward him at an unexpected angle. Forced to cancel his technique, he dodged, only to find two more shuriken cutting off his escape route. He had no choice but to block them with his bracers.
"My shuriken throwing is maxed at level 10 too, you know," Akio said smugly. "Maxing basic skills comes with surprising perks. My Transformation Jutsu could mimic Wood Style."
"So... can you guess what my max-level shuriken technique does?"
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