"Most of them are."
"Some others were collected from other shinobi villages and recorded in the Archive Pavilion for the clansmen's study and reference."
"Of course, different ranks of ninjutsu require different clearance levels, and one must acquire the corresponding contributions to learn them."
Madara closed the scroll and placed it back on the shelf.
He turned around and looked at Gento, his eyes filled with complexity.
"Kid, when I founded the Hidden Leaf back then, I once dreamed of a scene like this."
"A scene where the Uchiha clansmen no longer have to hide, no longer have to be marginalized or suppressed, and can uprightly train, live, and grow stronger."
His voice was somewhat low.
"But after the Hidden Leaf was established, everything changed."
"It seemed as if all of these had been realized, yet there were also many hidden perils. In my disappointment, I chose to leave."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Archive Pavilion as his voice carried a hint of emotion:
"I did not expect that what I failed to accomplish, you have achieved."
"Under your hands, the Uchiha has truly grown and flourished."
Gento shook his head:
"It is not the credit of me alone, but the hard work of everyone."
Madara did not respond, merely turning around and walking toward the door.
Walking to the entrance, he suddenly stopped and said without turning his head:
"If only that idiot Hashirama was still alive."
"I would definitely show off to him properly."
"Take a look at how glorious the Uchiha has become today! It is far better than that Hidden Leaf of his!"
Hearing this, Gento's heart stirred.
He stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Madara, a smile rising on the corners of his lips:
"Senior Madara, I forgot to tell you one thing."
"Before you, I had already reanimated Hashirama Senju with Edo Tensei."
Madara's footsteps seized up on the spot.
He turned his head, his eyes filled with disbelief:
"What? Where is he now?"
"In the Hidden Leaf."
Madara's mouth twitched, his gaze turning dangerous:
"You kid, you actually reanimated Hashirama first?"
"Could it be that in your heart, I'm inferior to that idiot?"
Facing Madara's questioning, Gento could only smile awkwardly.
He could hardly say that compared to Madara, Hashirama was much easier to talk to and less prone to going berserk, could he?
Madara stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, his laughs echoing through the Archive Pavilion:
"Good! Good! Fantastic!"
"Kid, take me to the Hidden Leaf at once!"
"I want to see what that idiot looks like now!"
Facing Madara's demand, Gento dared not be negligent.
Even if Madara did not say so, Gento would have followed him.
After all, who knew what kind of trouble Madara's train of thought would cause once he went to the Hidden Leaf?
What if this Shinobi God acted on a sudden whim and unleashed a Tengai Shinsei on the Hidden Leaf? That would be a disaster of epic proportions.
With a flash of the Flying Thunder God, their figures vanished from the Archive Pavilion.
...
The Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage's office.
Tsunade was currently reviewing documents.
Hearing the sound of space fluctuating, she did not even raise her head.
"You're back? Shiva missed you, you really..."
Her words ground to a sudden halt.
She saw the red-armored man standing beside Gento.
Madara Uchiha.
He was using his pair of pale purple Rinnegan to size up the office, his gaze sweeping over Tsunade with a hint of scrutiny and disdain.
"This is the Fifth Hokage? Hashirama's granddaughter?"
Tsunade's expression looked rather unsightly, but before she could even speak, Madara had already lost interest.
Without sparing another glance at Tsunade, he crashed straight through the window, the glass of the Hokage's office shattering all over the ground.
Madara leapt onto the Hokage Rock, standing right beside the carved face of Hiruzen Sarutobi the Third Hokage, looking down to overlook the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
He took a deep breath, and then bellowed:
"Hashirama! Madara Uchiha is here! Come out and face me!"
Madara's voice exploded over the sky of the Hidden Leaf, startling countless birds into flight.
The villagers raised their heads one after another, whispering as they stared at the white-haired figure standing atop the Hokage Rock.
The faces of the shinobi shifted drastically, some recognizing that red armor.
Nonetheless, in the face of Madara's call, no one responded.
Madara frowned, immediately closing his eyes to activate a sensory ninjutsu.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a smile rising on the corners of his lips:
"Hmph, ignoring me? Found you!"
With a flash of his figure, he swept toward the forest outside the Hidden Leaf Village.
Gento hurriedly explained a few words to Tsunade:
"Madara and Hashirama need to catch up. I'm going to keep an eye on them so they don't tear the Hidden Leaf apart."
Then, he also quickly caught up with Madara.
Standing before the shattered window, Tsunade watched their receding figures and let out a deep sigh.
In the forest outside the Hidden Leaf Village, Hashirama was sitting on a grassy clearing, holding Shiva in his arms.
Using Wood Release, Hashirama had conjured many small wooden toys on the ground.
Shiva was playing to his heart's content, giggling from time to time.
Looking at his great-grandson, Hashirama's eyes were filled with affection and satisfaction.
Suddenly, his movements paused.
He raised his head, looking toward the entrance of the forest as a smile rose on the corners of his lips.
He did not move, merely continuing to look down and play with Shiva.
A moment later, a figure descended from the sky, landing on the grass and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Madara Uchiha.
Crossing his arms, his Rinnegan carried a hint of dissatisfaction and urgency:
"Hashirama! I've arrived, and you won't even greet me?"
Hashirama raised his head, his expression calm as he looked at his archrival.
He merely said flatly, "Oh, it's Madara. Take a seat."
"Take a seat?"
Madara's brow furrowed.
He imagined the reunion was not like this.
Hashirama should have stood up in excitement-either with tears in his eyes or drawing his weapon-instead of welcoming him to "take a seat" like an old man basking in the sun.
Madara took a deep breath, suppressing the displeasure in his heart.
He stepped forward and sat opposite Hashirama, his gaze falling on Shiva in his arms.
The little guy was holding a small wooden horse, tilting his head to look at him with curiosity, not shy around strangers at all.
"This is your descendant?"
"Yes."
Hashirama pat Shiva's head.
"His name is Shiva, and he is four years old."
"What do you think? He's quite cute, isn't he?"
Madara snorted, not responding to the question.
He cleared his throat and began his "bragging."
"Hashirama, do you know what the Uchiha has grown into today?"
"The Hidden Gento Village is ten times more prosperous than your Hidden Leaf Village!"
"Inside the Archive Pavilion, there are countless scrolls of ninjutsu records; even your Senju's secret techniques are documented!"
"And the Uchiha shinobi are all full of vitality, far stronger than those shinobi in your Hidden Leaf!"
Hashirama uttered an "oh," continuing to look down and play with Shiva.
Madara's face darkened:
"What is with your attitude? I'm speaking to you!"
"I am listening."
Hashirama raised his head, his expression remaining placid.
"Are you finished speaking?"
"You…!"
Madara felt as if he had punched a block of cotton, causing him discomfort all over.
He gritted his teeth and continued:
"The Hidden Leaf has withered today! And your Senju clan is even more depleted!"
"Look at the Uchiha instead; flourishing in numbers, with genius after genius emerging! Do you not feel ashamed?"
Hashirama thought for a moment, then said flatly:
"My descendant is a genius."
Madara was startled, looking at Shiva.
The four-year-old little guy was condensing chakra in a clumsy manner.
Pressing his small hands on the ground, a little green blade of grass sprouted from the soil, slowly growing a few inches taller.
Then, the blade of grass withered, and Shiva pouted his lips, seemingly unsatisfied.
"Wood Release!"
Madara's pupils contracted sharply.
A four-year-old child could actually use Wood Release!
Even if it was only making a small blade of grass grow a few inches, it was still Wood Release!
Madara's face turned exceptionally ugly.
He stared dead at Shiva, then looked back at Hashirama.
That placid expression on Hashirama's face was practically more detestable than outright mockery in his eyes right now.
"This kid... did you teach him?"
Hashirama's tone remained flat:
"Of course! As I said, my descendant is a genius."
Madara's mouth twitched, a fire pent up inside his chest.
He took a deep breath, stood up, and raised his voice:
"Hmph! What's so great about Wood Release! The Uchiha's Sharingan is the strongest!"
"Today, the Uchiha's Hidden Gento Village is united as one, from top to bottom, far stronger than that bunch of scheming shinobi clans in your Hidden Leaf! I will definitely lead the Uchiha to unify the shinobi world!"
Hashirama raised his head, looking at Madara's agitated face, and then slowly uttered a few words:
"My descendant is a genius."
"You…!"
Madara felt like he was about to explode.
He spun around, striding with heavy steps out of the forest.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Hashirama, his eyes filled with rage and unwillingness.
"I won't stoop to your level!"
Having said that, he walked away with giant strides.
Gento stood not far away, taking all of this in.
His mouth twitched, admiring Hashirama's "indifference" to the point of absolute reverence.
This God of Shinobi was indeed Madara's lifelong archrival.
He knew Madara too well, knowing exactly how to use the calmest tone to pierce Madara's sore spot.
Madara walked in front of Gento, speaking furiously:
"Kid! Find a peerless genius of the Uchiha for me immediately!"
"One of a similar age to that kid just now."
"Madara Uchiha will train them personally!"
"I cannot be outperformed by Hashirama!"
---
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