Present and Future

"Huh, is it time yet?"

Shi Jian stared in surprise at the empty air in front of him, sighed, and then touched the bead he had made into a pendant and was hanging on his chest.

The connection with the other side can only be activated for one hour each day. After one hour, the bead will automatically shut down. He doesn't know if it's because there isn't enough energy, but even if there isn't, he doesn't know how to replenish the energy. It seems that chakra is useless after it is activated.

Shi Jian didn't think much of it and simply put the bead away.

This bead is nothing special; even if it were hung outside, no one would notice anything unusual about it. Everyone else who saw it would just think it was a special pendant.

"It's getting late!"

Shi Jian glanced at the street where the streetlights had been turned on.

Although the technology in Naruto is somewhat strange, it is quite well-developed in terms of living facilities.

At this time, the streets were bustling with pedestrians, and the parents and children who had finished looking at the list on the bulletin board at the ninja academy had all dispersed.

The crowd of those who were accepted was filled with joy and laughter, and some parents were even preparing to treat their children to a big meal. Those who failed... either went home dejectedly, or were taken home by their parents with sullen faces. Coupled with the shops hawking their wares all around, it was quite a lively scene.

If Hashirama Senju had seen this, he would probably have been moved to tears, shouting, "We did it! We did it!"

Shi Jian shook his head, looked away, and walked to the side. "Time to go home and cook!"

There's also a blond puppy at home that's crying for food!

As for the three of them... he felt sorry for them too, and now he could only pray that nothing happened to them!

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The moment the call abruptly ended, all three fell silent, their eyes filled with confusion as they stared into the empty air before them.

Not a word.

Until I don't know how much time had passed.

Hashirama Senju turned around awkwardly, scratching his head and grinning at Madara. "By the way, Madara, did you hear that? What did they say? What did I do to you?"

"You..." Madara's face darkened, he crossed his arms, his expression grim, and he gritted his teeth, "Killed him!"

"Impossible! How could I possibly kill you?" Hashirama Senju's voice suddenly rose as he shouted at the air in front of him, "You brat, come back here! Come back here! Why did you just run away like that! Tell me, what did I do to Madara?!"

However, no matter how much he wailed, or even took out the bead and frantically poured chakra into it, it was still of no use.

After a moment, when nothing changed, Hashirama Senju stood up, coughed twice with his right fist to his mouth, and then, with a serious expression, said, "That must be fake. That brat must be trying to sow discord between us, Madara!"

At that moment, his eyes were filled with longing as he looked at the frowning Uchiha Madara before him. "Do you believe me?"

That look, that tone... instantly softened Madara Uchiha's cold gaze considerably. His arms were still crossed over his chest, his head held high and chest out. Although his posture and expression were still incredibly domineering, the original coldness dissipated at this moment. He opened his mouth as if to say something.

"Hmph! Don't dream, big brother!" Seeing the two staring at each other, Tobirama Senju interjected, a mocking smile on his lips. "I've said it before, the inherently evil Uchiha clan is completely untrustworthy!"

"?!"

These words immediately diverted Madara Uchiha's anger. His domineering aura exploded, a crimson glint flashed in his eyes, and the kaleidoscope pattern in his pupils spun wildly as he coldly stared at Tobirama Senju.

"What the hell are you talking about? If anyone is trying to sow discord between me and Hashirama, it must be you, you despicable scoundrel!"

"Ridiculous! It's clearly you inherently evil Uchiha who are untrustworthy!" Facing Madara's angry rebuke, Tobirama Senju remained unfazed, showing no sign of backing down. "Didn't you hear what that well-behaved and sensible child just said? It's because you betrayed Konoha that my brother killed you. I suspect..."

With a sneer, he said, "You're even destroying Konoha, ruining that hard-won peace, which is why my brother attacked you. The evil Uchiha clan truly doesn't deserve peace!"

"I didn't!" Madara, having lost his temper in the verbal exchange with Tobirama Senju, glared angrily at him. "If I did, it must be you, you despicable and treacherous bastard, stirring things up in the shadows!"

"The inherently evil Madara Uchiha!"

"You...you...you despicable, treacherous villain!"

"The inherently evil Madara Uchiha betrayed Konoha and was killed by his elder brother!"

"You, you, you..."

"That's enough!"

Just as Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju unleashed their chakra, Hashirama Senju, who was suffering from a headache, could no longer hold back. His chakra exploded as well, instantly suppressing the two and standing directly between them.

He looked at Tobirama Senju with a serious expression. "Tobirama, don't say those kinds of things to Madara. Madara is also our comrade. The village has only just been established. If we can't even accept Madara, how can we protect peace? I believe Madara would never do such a thing."

"..."

Looking at his serious-looking older brother, Tobirama Senju dropped his mockery. Finally, he sighed helplessly and said expressionlessly, "Brother, haven't you realized yet? That wasn't an illusion!"

Moreover, his elder brother being the First Hokage and him being the Second Hokage were both within his original expectations.

To be honest, he's starting to wonder if that might actually be the "future"!

Of course, whether this can be definitively determined still requires some evidence.

However, in response to his words, Hashirama Senju, as the eldest brother, shook his head, his face still serious. "I don't believe Madara would betray Konoha because of this. This was our dream!"

Then, he turned his head again, looked at Madara in front of him, and said in a solemn tone, "Madara, I believe in you!"

"Hmph!" Looking at Hashirama Senju, who believed in him, and seeing the deep bond in his eyes, Madara Uchiha, who had been coldly preparing to avenge his brother, averted his gaze. He didn't meet Hashirama's eyes, but instead let out a cold snort, his tone impatient, "I know!"

"Hehehe, Madara!" Hashirama was immediately delighted upon hearing Madara's reply. "I knew you believed me too!"

However, Tobirama Senju, who had noticed the awkward atmosphere, snorted and interjected, "You two shouldn't be too happy yet. That's not an genjutsu. If you don't believe me, ask this naturally evil... Uchiha Madara!"

"spot……"

"It's definitely not a genjutsu." Faced with Hashirama's question, Madara paused for a moment, then nodded, his tone filled with arrogance. "No genjutsu can fool my eyes!"

"So, if it's not an illusion, then there are only two possibilities now. First..." As a calm scientist, Tobirama Senju instantly analyzed various possibilities in his mind. "The other side deliberately built a Konoha, the Konoha of the future, and then communicated with us through an unknown technique. But to be honest, I didn't sense any trace of technique on it."

This was also what puzzled him; as a specialist in techniques, he didn't think anyone could hide anything from him.

"And if that's really the case, what's that guy's goal? To stir up chaos within Konoha? And who could it be? But if the first guess is wrong, then the second one..."

At this point, Tobirama Senju's gaze swept over the two people in front of him, his tone serious, "What that guy said is true! That is indeed the future Konoha; the future is connected to our present!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Ban again, his gaze lingering on something else.

That is... Madara betrayed Konoha, and it's true that he was killed by his older brother. To be honest, thinking about it this way is quite satisfying.

Tobirama Senju's lips curled slightly, but the smile quickly disappeared. He didn't know what the situation was yet. He did hate Madara Uchiha, but that didn't mean he would be used by others to get rid of Madara Uchiha.

The three fell silent, pondering Tobirama Senju's words.

But just then, "smack!" Hashirama Senju suddenly slammed his right fist into his left hand, his face showing a look of realization, instantly attracting the attention of Madara and Tobirama Senju.

"Big brother, what's on your mind?"

"What are you thinking about? Nothing!" Hashirama Senju laughed, hands on his hips. "We'll deal with those things tomorrow! As long as a fight doesn't break out, that's fine. I'm starving, Madara, Tobirama, let's go eat!"

"..." x2

That guy!

The one before that is more important!

……

At the same time, in an old apartment building in Konoha Village.

A blond-haired guy was clinging to Shi Jian's leg, looking like he hadn't eaten in a long time, and was howling loudly.

"Ah Jian, you're finally back! Where did you go? I was starving!"