Hashirama immediately stepped forward, placing both hands on Mu's shoulder and chest. The green glow of medical ninjutsu quickly lit up.
"Don't move. I'll do it."
Senju Hashirama's voice carried obvious urgency and guilt.
Chakra surged into Mu's body, repairing the damaged meridians and internal organs caused by excessive use of Dust Release and repeatedly enduring Susanoo's attacks head-on.
Mu only felt a warmth spreading from his chest. The internal injuries that had been faintly aching faded at a visible speed.
Mu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. His whole body finally relaxed completely.
It seemed that Senju Hashirama was indeed, just like in the original work, a kind-hearted person...
"Thank you.", Mu spoke to Hashirama in a deep voice.
Hashirama withdrew his hands and looked at him with a complicated expression before saying solemnly, "I owe you an apology."
"I know Madara's temper best. If I hadn't arrived a step late today, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Perhaps feeling that just saying this was not sincere enough, Hashirama paused, then spoke in a serious tone, "Konoha was in the wrong first. Whether it's medical treatment, supplies, or our formal dealings with Iwagakure afterward, I'll give you sufficient compensation. Whatever you need, just ask."
Tobirama, who was standing nearby, slightly frowned when he heard the word "compensation."
Senju Tobirama did feel a little pained by it. The village had just been established, and resources were already tight.
If not for his elder brother's Wood Release, whether they could even find somewhere to build houses was another matter.
But then he thought about it again. Konoha was indeed in the wrong.
With the villages newly established, this was a crucial time to establish their international image.
If an Iwagakure envoy came to visit and was nearly killed by their own people, then once word got out, who would dare set foot in Konoha again?
It would have a bad impact and easily make everyone develop a poor impression of Konoha.
Tobirama was silent for a moment before finally nodding, his voice calm. "Big brother is right. Konoha must give an explanation for this matter."
Mu looked at the two of them, a trace of understanding flashing through his eyes.
He naturally knew that these brothers cared deeply about Konoha.
They were afraid Konoha would become isolated from the shinobi world.
Mu did not refuse or put on a show of politeness. He simply nodded. "Then I'll accept your offer."
Mu himself was not going to be polite.
"As for the specific compensation, I'll discuss it with Mu and Onoki after I return to Iwagakure. For now... I'll make sure everyone gets back safely first."
"As for what happened today, I won't hold it against you. Let's just consider it as if it never happened.", Mu said calmly.
Hashirama breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Good. If you need anything on the way, send word at any time."
———
The aftermath of this battle soon spread throughout Konoha.
Although most people did not know the exact details, they had personally seen the completely destroyed forest at the edge of the battlefield, the huge craters, the broken trees, the traces of blue chakra left behind, and the heat and dust that lingered in the air.
And the sounds of the battle had been so loud that unless they were deaf, there was no way they could not have heard them.
"Someone actually fought Lord Madara to that extent..."
"An envoy from another village? They could actually hold out for that long?"
"Could it be that the other villages also have experts at that level?"
Discussion quietly spread between the wooden houses and along the streets.
For the first time, many people realized that this brand-new shinobi world was nowhere near as simple as they had imagined.
They had thought Konoha was the strongest in the entire shinobi world.
They never expected there to always be someone stronger.
———
At the edge of the village, Yumeko leaned against the eaves, staring without blinking at the smoke and dust gradually dispersing in the distance.
Her brain was somewhat frozen.
"No, that's not right...", She muttered to herself, subconsciously rubbing her temples with her fingers.
"Didn't Madara completely crush them in this battle in the original?"
"Once Susanoo came out, Mu and Onoki immediately went down on their knees. Madara even mocked them, leaving little Onoki with a childhood trauma... How did the fight turn out like this now?"
She frowned and repeatedly recalled what she remembered.
"Did I remember it wrong? Or... did something else happen?"
After a moment, Yumeko shook her head and gently let out a breath.
"Forget it. Why bother worrying about this?"
"Anyway, Lord Observer is silently correcting this shinobi world. With that lord around, everything will be fine."
She leaned back against the doorframe again, chewing on the grilled fish she had bought earlier. Her eyes gradually returned to normal.
———
On the other side, in the shadows of the Uchiha residential area, Uchiha Katsu stood quietly.
He had witnessed the entire battle, from Mu and Madara's confrontation, to Hashirama and Tobirama's intervention, and finally Madara's departure.
He did not find it strange.
In his previous life, Mu had already been ridiculously strong.
Back then, Mu had already learned the Yata Immortal Technique and could even fight Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Madara to a fifty-fifty draw.
Although the trajectory of this life had changed, Mu's foundation had never been weak.
A faint trace of complexity flashed through Katsu's eyes before he disappeared into the crowd once again.
Yumeko returned to her little house, closed the door, and lay down on the simple bed.
The night grew deeper. Occasionally, the distant barking of dogs and the footsteps of night watchmen could be heard throughout the village.
She had intended to simply fall asleep, but the battle from earlier kept replaying in her mind: Mu and Madara's confrontation, the collision between Dust Release and Susanoo, and the scene when Hashirama and Tobirama finally arrived.
The more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
"The original was clearly not like this..."
She sat up, bit her lip, and finally pulled a specially made communication talisman from beneath her pillow.
This was the exclusive means of contact between her and Arisu, a chakra phone.
The Observer had always been aloof and almost never contacted her first. But Yumeko had insisted on getting this means of contact anyway.
The reason was simple: she was afraid of dying. If something happened to her one day, she could just summon this world's big boss over. How great would that be?
She took a deep breath and injected her chakra.
———
On the other side, Arisu was sitting in front of an easel, the paintbrush in his hand gently touching the rice paper.
It was simply too boring normally.
There were no phones, and Arisu did not know how to develop technology himself.
As the Observer, he had to maintain the overall stability of the plot and could not casually descend into the shinobi world to have fun.
Painting had become one of his few pastimes.
Suddenly...
Buzz!
Buzz!
Several faint vibrations sounded out of nowhere.
Arisu paused, then helplessly put down his paintbrush.
He did not need to guess who it was.
He had only given this means of contact to Yumeko. Uchiha Katsu had another channel.
He raised his hand, and a faint light screen appeared in the air. He connected the communication.
"What are you doing? Is something wrong?", Arisu asked calmly.
On the other end of the light screen, Yumeko pursed her lips when she heard his tone. "Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?"
Arisu slightly raised an eyebrow.
"If you're really that bored, you can try biting an exploding tag.", Arisu said.
"Hahahaha!"
Yumeko laughed several times, then teased him, "What if I really die?"
Arisu's tone remained flat. "Then go die."
Yumeko laughed even harder, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate teasing. "If I really died, Lord Observer, you wouldn't want that either. You're such a tsundere..."
"What exactly are you trying to say?", Arisu's expression instantly darkened slightly.
Yumeko waved her hand and restrained her laughter, becoming serious. "I feel like the plot is different. I came to ask you, was the original work really like this?"
[T/N: Your support keeps the novels and fanfics going. Consider joining P@treon or giving reviews to make me motivated to keep going. Thank you~ Enjoy~
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