254. Strong Financial Power

What was happening now might have been the greatest crisis Senju Tobirama had ever faced in his life. Even during the chaotic Warring States period, he had never felt so close to death.

As the massive hand in front of him was about to descend, Tobirama gritted his teeth, preparing for a desperate fight. The dark-haired woman before him emanated a profound dojutsu power that rivaled, if not surpassed, Uchiha Madara’s—let alone that foolish brother of his, Uchiha Izuna.

Who would have thought the Uchiha clan was hiding such a terrifying secret weapon? Why hadn’t she been brought out during the final battle?

Even in this life-or-death moment, Tobirama couldn’t help but analyze the Uchiha clan’s intentions. At the same time, his hand didn’t stay idle.

A kunai engraved with mysterious seals appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming coldly as it reflected Tobirama’s pale face.

"Swish!"

With a swift motion, Tobirama flung the kunai at the girl’s face. The speed was astonishing, and a faint glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

Dodge it, please!

If the girl dodged the kunai, he could teleport behind her using Flying Thunder God and attack midway.

"Hmph!"

What happened next, however, left Tobirama utterly shocked. The dark-haired girl, facing the blazing kunai, remained expressionless. She merely lifted her gaze slightly, and everyone present felt a scorching heat that seemed to burn their very souls.

"Nani?!"

In mid-air, the kunai suddenly ignited with black flames. Though only a small wisp, it made Tobirama’s eyelids twitch violently.

Amaterasu.

Tobirama was all too familiar with this technique. Uchiha Izuna’s Mangekyō Sharingan ability was Amaterasu—a powerful but inflexible dojutsu. But he had never encountered anyone who could control Amaterasu with such precision. This girl’s mastery was leagues ahead of Izuna’s.

In the blink of an eye, the fierce kunai was reduced to a wisp of white smoke by the girl’s Amaterasu.

Seeing this, Tobirama’s heart sank. Her dojutsu was a natural counter to agile shinobi like him. Even a tiny touch of Amaterasu would spell his doom.

With this in mind, he bent slightly, assuming a combat stance. His sharp mind worked at full speed, desperately trying to find a way to counter her.

"Ha~ Out of tricks? Then die."

The murderous girl’s eyes glowed crimson as she coldly stared at Tobirama, declaring his fate.

Wait a minute!

At this critical moment, Uchiha Gin, who had been watching the drama unfold, stepped in.

"Bang!"

In a flash, Gin appeared before the dark-haired girl, raising his fist and delivering a flick to her forehead.

As the precise hit landed, Gin blew on his smoking fingers, his eyes filled with helplessness. He knew if he didn’t intervene, this white-haired man might meet his end here, bringing endless trouble to his doorstep.

"Ouch! What was that for~?"

Stunned by the sudden blow, the girl clutched her reddened forehead with both hands. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pouted in grievance.

Seeing the girl’s sudden change in attitude, Tobirama’s heart felt as though a herd of wild horses had trampled over it. He stared at Gin and the girl with a bewildered expression before finally frowning and asking,
"Who is she?"

"Sigh~ She’s my childhood friend, Uchiha Hikari. She’s been staying up late recently, so her temper is a bit off. Don’t take it personally."

Gin raised an eyebrow and patted the girl’s head to comfort her before turning to the visibly skeptical Tobirama and explaining.

"Really?"

Tobirama’s suspicions deepened. Earlier, when he had asked the girl if she was Uchiha Hikari, she had flatly denied it.

"Why would she deny her own name? Does she have split personalities or something?"

"Of course not!" Gin’s eyes darted nervously as his tone wavered slightly.
"She must’ve been half-asleep!"

"Fine. If she really is Uchiha Hikari, then I’ll explain the mission to you."

Still unconvinced, Tobirama scrutinized the girl closely but ultimately decided to move on. He nodded and began to speak, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.

Uchiha Hikari's strength was as terrifying as Madara had claimed, but her mental state was worrisome, like a ticking time bomb. However, it seemed Gin could manage her, which provided some reassurance.

"Let’s go. This isn’t the place to talk."

Seeing no way to avoid it, Gin gave up thinking and led the girl downstairs.

Seated in the living room, Gin took the tea offered by Senju Itama. After taking a sip, his furrowed brows eased, and he looked at the girl with some surprise.

Her tea-making skills had improved significantly, nearly rivaling Mito’s.

"Ah, good tea!"

After the earlier ordeal, Tobirama, parched, unceremoniously took a cup of tea and drank deeply. His eyes lit up with surprise at the exquisite taste, far superior to anything his brother’s collection had to offer.

"Where did you get this tea?"

Unable to resist, Tobirama asked as he savored the drink, hoping to acquire some for himself.

"Hmm, let me think."

Caught off guard by Tobirama’s interest in tea, Gin rubbed his chin thoughtfully before answering,
"Oh, the cup you just drank? That’s about a million ryō per sip."

After a moment of recollection, Gin gave Tobirama an odd look and explained. The tea was made from a rare tribute-grade tea from the Land of Tea, with such a limited supply that even the daimyo reserved it for only the most distinguished guests.

"Pfft!"

Tobirama, savoring the tea with closed eyes, nearly choked upon hearing Gin’s words. He spluttered, spraying tea everywhere.

Gin’s face immediately filled with pain and indignation. "I told you it was expensive, yet you waste it like this? Shameless!"

"Cough, cough… Are you serious?"

After a few coughs, Tobirama carefully placed the teacup down and asked hesitantly. He had never drunk tea worth a million ryō per sip.

"Do I need to lie? You can doubt my strength, but never my financial power."



Looking annoyed, Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes and spread his hands to show off his wealth to Tobirama Senju.

Following Gin’s gesture, Tobirama once again looked around the room. When his eyes landed on a vase on the table, tears of poverty welled up in his eyes.

He recognized the vase—it was identical to one he had seen in the home of the Fire Country’s Daimyo. There, it had been fiercely guarded by multiple layers of security. According to the Daimyo, the vase was part of a pair, but its counterpart had been sold at an exorbitant price to a mysterious bidder in the black market.

The exact amount was undisclosed, but judging by the Daimyo's obsession with the piece, it was no small sum.

Yet here, in Uchiha Gin's house, this priceless vase was casually being used to hold chrysanthemums.

“You like chrysanthemums too?” Gin asked curiously, watching the teary-eyed Tobirama.

“That vase…”

“Oh, that? I just thought the pattern was interesting, so I bought it as decoration.”

Scratching his head in mild confusion, Gin appeared to have no idea of the vase’s value. For him, it was merely an impulse buy at a black-market auction—a pretty ornament to brighten the room.

The vase, white and pristine, was adorned with images of bamboo groves. Amidst the lush greenery stood a beautiful white-haired woman with a divine and distant aura, her gaze serene yet otherworldly, like a goddess from another realm.

“You’ve got… quite an eye,” Tobirama muttered, his expression stiff as he confirmed the vase’s authenticity.

“It’s nothing special—just third best in the Shinobi World,” Gin replied with a casual shrug, clearly pleased with himself.

“Uh, that large urn over there?” Tobirama asked, his gaze shifting to a massive earthen jar in the center of the hall. As someone well-versed in ninjutsu research, he could sense it wasn’t ordinary.

“Oh, that? A gift from a couple of my prison buddies,” Gin answered nonchalantly, glancing at the massive jar—the Amber Purifying Pot—with a tinge of nostalgia.

He wondered briefly how the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers were faring in the Land of Lightning. Hopefully, they weren’t being mistreated.

Meanwhile, in Kumogakure...

"Achoo!!" Twice.

In a dimly lit room, two synchronized sneezes startled everyone present. A few black-clad laborers exchanged uneasy glances, wary of offending the two infamous brothers in front of them.

“Big brother, can we even catch colds?” the silver-haired Ginkaku asked, wiping his nose and looking puzzled.

“Only fools don’t catch colds,” the hulking gold-haired Kinkaku replied with exasperation, his massive frame looming like a mountain.

Ginkaku glanced at the twin cloud-patterned headbands disdainfully. "Cloud Village, huh? What an awful name."

“It doesn’t matter,” Kinkaku grinned wickedly. “Once we’re Raikage, we’ll rename whatever we want!”

Back in Konoha...

“You’ve been rambling for ages—don’t tell me you came just to mooch tea?” Gin asked, glaring at Tobirama, whose repeated requests for refills were starting to irk him.

“Such a miser,” Tobirama grumbled under his breath, glaring briefly at his sister’s retreating figure.

I’ve already given you my sister—what’s a few cups of tea?

Uchiha Hikari was observing quietly, swirling her tea thoughtfully. From Tobirama’s behavior, it was clear he wasn’t here just for tea.

“Hmph! Spit it out already!” Gin barked.

Letting out a final satisfied sigh after finishing his tea, Tobirama’s face grew serious. “It was Uchiha Madara who sent me.”

Gin’s eyes narrowed. His cousin? That eased his worries a bit—if Madara was involved, the matter might not be entirely bad.

“What’s the mission? Don’t tell me it’s some boring job like watching over prisoners.”

Gin recalled jokingly asking Madara to get him assigned to a cushy job in Konoha’s prison system. Was this it?

He was already imagining a relaxed life... until Tobirama’s next words extinguished that dream like a bucket of cold water.

“Watching prisoners? Not exactly. The job’s similar, but it’s not people you’ll be guarding.”