Hearing Hikaru's words, Uchiha Chiri's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the tension in her expression eased.
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she asked curiously:
"Since the mission is to hunt down Madara Uchiha, do we have any concrete information?"
Hikaru gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.
In truth, Hikaru didn't have much detailed intel on Madara Uchiha.
The real reason he accepted this mission was because, before becoming Hokage, he wanted to travel a bit—see all kinds of sights across the Shinobi World.
As for Madara Uchiha, time was on his side. When the moment came, taking care of him would be no more than a casual matter.
Judging from his expression, the three women knew the answer without needing to ask further.
Tsunade then spoke up: "So how do we actually carry out this mission?"
Instead of answering right away, Hikaru stood, walked to the side, and picked up a rolled-up map.
Spreading it open, he said to the three women:
"Even if I don't know where Madara Uchiha is right now, don't forget—I've already memorized his chakra signature. If we go one country at a time, we can still track him down."
"Anyway, enough about that guy. Let's decide which country we should head to first."
Hearing this, the three women let the matter drop.
They gathered around the map and began to study it carefully.
Suddenly, Tsunade pointed to a spot and said excitedly:
"How about we go to the Land of Birds first? I've heard you can find every bird species on the continent there."
Hikaru's face twisted in distaste.
"That's not a good idea. Birds are… well, you know, straightforward creatures. That many birds—ugh, I don't even want to imagine it."
As he spoke, his expression turned openly disgusted.
The three women's gazes shifted toward him.
Tsunade and Nonō Yakushi both smiled helplessly, while Uchiha Chiri shot him a sharp glare, as if to scold him for his loose tongue.
Realizing the situation, Hikaru wisely shut his mouth.
With that interruption, the idea of visiting the Land of Birds was quietly dropped.
After a bit more studying, Nonō Yakushi suddenly suggested:
"How about the Land of Snow? We've never seen what a world of ice and snow looks like. And since we're shinobi, we won't be bothered much by the cold."
Her voice was full of expectation and longing, as if she were already there in that silver-white world.
The proposal was quickly met with Tsunade's and Chiri's approval.
Once the first destination was set, the rest of the itinerary was much easier to decide.
They worked their way around the map, discussing each country's unique features, and finalized their route.
When Hikaru announced they would depart the next day, Chiri stood and said she was heading home to prepare her pack.
Before leaving, she glanced at Nonō Yakushi and Tsunade with a hint of envy.
But then she remembered—starting tomorrow, she too would be traveling alongside Hikaru, spending every day together. That thought brought a radiant smile to her face.
Waving goodbye, she turned and left.
Hikaru was left standing there, completely puzzled, not knowing what had just happened.
In the Hokage's office, piles of documents surrounded Tobirama Senju as he worked through the village's affairs.
Suddenly, one report in his hands made his expression change drastically, his brows knitting into a tight frown.
He let out a deep sigh, as though trying to exhale the worries weighing on his chest.
Then, in a low, steady voice, he said:
"Go find the First Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and Hikaru. Tell them I have something to discuss."
The Anbu immediately moved.
They vanished like shadows, silent and swift, going to locate the people Tobirama had named.
Mito Uzumaki and Hashirama Senju happened to be nearby, so they arrived quickly.
Before they even entered, Mito's mildly reproachful voice reached Tobirama's ears:
"Tobirama, you're already a grown Hokage. You should handle things yourself."
Hearing this, Tobirama almost choked on his breath. Inwardly, he grumbled: Isn't the current Hokage technically you?
But that remained an unspoken thought. Knowing Mito, she might actually hand over the title to him on the spot if he said it aloud.
While he could temporarily shoulder the Hokage's duties, he was still a dead man—and not truly suited for the position.
Besides, now was not the time for that conversation. What he had to say was important.
So he smoothly changed the subject: "Sister-in-law, I called you here for two matters that need clarification."
Mito didn't stand on ceremony. She pulled Hashirama over to sit beside her and said:
"Go on, what is it? Once we're done, I'm taking 'Woodhead' here shopping."
Her voice carried a light, cheerful tone—it was clear she was in a good mood.
Hashirama, on the other hand, looked numb. The so-called God of Shinobi, First Hokage of Konoha, could withstand anything… except today.
From morning until now, they'd been shopping nonstop, with only a brief break for lunch.
Tobirama shot his brother a look of sympathy before getting serious:
"What exactly happened with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Mito's expression instantly turned grave.
"The official story is that the Third Hokage died of illness. But in truth, it's not so simple. He crossed the village's bottom line—betrayed the duties of Hokage."
Even after six years, just mentioning Hiruzen Sarutobi filled Mito with anger and disappointment.
She paused briefly, gathering her thoughts, before continuing:
"Hiruzen abused his power, shielding Danzo's actions. And when the matter came to light, instead of repenting, he tried to silence children."
Tobirama's face darkened to iron. His fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead as he struggled to contain his emotions.
Finally, he couldn't hold it in.
He slammed the desk and growled:
"To target the village's own children! Unforgivable! How could I have failed to see his true nature back then? I even covered their retreat! At this point, I almost wish I'd left them to die where they stood!"
His voice was laced with fury and self-reproach, bitterly regretting his past decision.
Hiruzen and Danzo were his disciples. That fact alone placed a share of responsibility squarely on his shoulders.
Which was why his anger and regret now ran so deep.
If Mito hadn't discovered the truth in time, Konoha might have been utterly ruined by them.
Seeing his state, Hashirama said gently:
"Tobirama, you didn't do anything wrong. There's no need to blame yourself for this."
Tobirama knew that in his head—but in his heart, the feeling of loss lingered.
A lifetime of clear judgment, and yet he'd been blind in that one moment… covering the retreat for two men like that.
At least things hadn't reached the worst possible outcome.